Every Moment After
by BookishDruid
Summary: It's been 2 years since Elsa's coronation, and Hans has been sending her letters he never expected her to read. The drawer where she kept them unopened has over-flowed and curiosity has gotten the better of her. Hans x Elsa
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: My first Frozen fic, my 2nd fanfic ever. I don't own Frozen.**

**The troll and mirror story is from Hans Christian Andersen's _The Snow Queen._**

**Noaidi - Sami shaman**

* * *

She turned the pristine white envelope in her hand, the back bore the seal of the Southern Isles and below that the letter "H" in an elegantly masculine hand, to ensure she knew who it was from, and the date in the bottom right corner. It had been several months since his forced departure, and still the first letter infuriated her. Not because of its contents, Elsa had tossed the letter in an unused drawer of her desk to be forgotten, but because he had the audacity to ask her to acknowledge his continued existence moreover spend her time reading a correspondence from him. She honestly didn't know why she didn't throw it away outright.

It sat in her drawer out of sight, but never out of mind, mostly due to the fact that more came after. The fury that came with receiving the letters died down after the first dozen. It had become routine: turn over the envelope, see the "H," toss it in the drawer. This went on for a little over a year, until a letter bounced back out of the drawer and landed softly on her foot. She sighed in annoyance, leaned over to pick up the letter and place in with its brethren.

The drawer was full. What had been anger now became curiosity. She glanced around the room to ensure she was alone, which she quickly felt silly for since she already knew that, gathered all the letters and her letter opener in her arms and snuck them back to her room.

She shut the door quickly behind her, wincing at the loud bang it had made. She spread the letters out on her bed and counted. Her eyes widened; he had written her one hundred and five letters. The curiosity was just too much and she searched the pile for the first one.

* * *

_HRH Queen Elsa of Arendelle,_

_I write this quite certain it shall never be read. I know I can never apologize enough for my actions, I fear it would be insulting to even try. Not a day goes by that it doesn't haunt me. I only hope that you and your sister have forgiven me. Not for my sake, but because neither of you deserve to have the heaviness of hate on your hearts. I wish I could erase the memories for both of you. I pray Anna finds someone to love that is worthy of her kind heart, and that you no longer fear yourself._

_Your Eternal Servant,_

_ADM Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles_

"He's Admiral Westergard?" Elsa sat stunned, frost slowly creeping up the edges of the paper.

The winter after her coronation had been a rough one due to the damaged crops she had caused with her impromptu winter storm. When the grain supplies began running low Arendelle received large gifts of grain from the surrounding kingdoms, many of which had declined trade agreements, citing repayment of debt to Admiral Westergard of the Southern Isles. She had assumed that the Southern Isles were trying to mend diplomatic relations, she never imagined it would be Hans' doing.

She eagerly tore open the next letter.

_HRH Queen Elsa of Arendelle,_

_My modest fleet has been rather effective in reducing the pirate activity in the waters of this small part of the world. Many of the kingdoms were foolish enough to ask me directly how they could repay me for my rather aggressive patrols. I do hope the grain they supplied was enough to feed your people through the winter. I specifically instructed that they use my naval rank in any correspondence with you regarding the shipments since I doubt you are aware that I hold one. I did not want to make you choose between feeding your people and taking aid from me. I take full responsibility for the destruction of your crops._

_Perhaps I should explain some things first. I am the thirteenth son of King Anders and Queen Adelaide of the Southern Isles. As I am sure you have already learned the life of a monarch is a busy one. My father concentrated his attention on my elder brothers, grooming them for lives in the upper echelons of society; the rest of us were expected to take military positions. My mother had little time to spend with thirteen rambunctious sons as her social schedule kept her away from the castle most of the time. I am the youngest. I was also unintentional. My brother Klaus is closest to me in age (being eight years my senior), and the only one who bothered with me. He was a frail child and not fit for military command, but has a keen mind and is one of my father's most trusted trade advisers. He taught me to use my assets to my advantage; a lesson I horribly misunderstood._

_Why am I not in prison? The matter was hushed up quickly; only my father, mother, brother Wolfgang (the Crown Prince), and Klaus are aware of my transgressions. I was removed from the ship under the dark of night and thrown into a small cell. No one was permitted to open the heavy wooden door to my cell or to communicate with me in anyway. I have no idea how long I was in there as I lost track of time, but I believe it had been several months. _

_ Klaus retrieved me from my pen and took me directly to our father, mother, and brother Wolfgang (with a brief stop to allow me to cleanse myself and receive new clothes). He spoke not a word as he lead me to father's study. I expected to be laughed at and ridiculed, not because I failed, but because I would think I was worth holding such a position. After that onslaught I expected to receive either death or exile. Klaus led me in and dismissed the guards. Wolfgang couldn't look me in the face, not that I could bring myself to raise my head to look at him, and my parents had their backs to me; another man stood in the shadows. As soon as the door shut my parents turned to face me. I braced myself for either a physical or verbal assault. I received neither. The man in the corner approached me, lifted my chin, and looked directly into my eyes, I have never felt so uncomfortable under anyone's gaze, and then he turned to my parents and nodded. The next few minutes are sort of a blur. My father and mother stepped forward and embraced me. They wept openly on my shoulders (being slightly shorter than me), and apologized for my childhood. My father apologized for putting being a king above being a father (my mother for being too wrapped up in her social life to make time for me); for being so busy with my elder brothers that they never gave me a chance to know they loved me. They apologized for the beatings and insults I suffered at the hands of my other brothers. Wolfgang apologized for failing to protect me. Klaus said nothing, but his tears spoke for him. My parents released me and I slid down in a chair. I have no words to fully describe the moments after. I have never wept so hard in all my life, but there was a terrible pain in my chest and right eye as if something was trying to escape by tearing through them. As quickly as it had come the pain stopped. A heavy burden I didn't know I was carrying was lifted. I can now truly feel things other than anger, hate, and misery. I saw my parents and brothers completely differently, I see everything differently. The man revealed himself to be a noaidi. When I had composed myself enough he made me stand and untuck my shirt, as I did a small shard of glass fell to the floor and landed next the one that had fallen out of my lap when I stood. He retrieved these, slipped them into a small pouch and exited._

_Do you remember a story about evil trolls dropping a mirror that made __everything good and beautiful wither in its reflection, while everything that was worthless and ugly became all that was reflected? Apparently it's more than just a story. The shards that fell from my body were shards of that mirror. They had imbedded themselves in me as a child during an incident I don't remember. Klaus had tried for years to tell my father something was wrong (he didn't know about the glass, he just knew I had inexplicably changed) and it wasn't until my actions against your sister and you that he believed him. The noaidi he called had his suspicions after speaking with Klaus and his uncomfortable stare had been his way of confirming it._

_My father informed that I was to be reinstated in the navy as admiral of a small fleet of well-armed brig sloops (Daggry (my flagship), Halvmaane, Svane, Fyen, and Stjerne). I was to use my modest armada to hunt pirates in the waters surrounding the Southern Isles, my naval rank being mainly decorative prior; only used for ceremonies and touring the kingdom's waters with foreign dignitaries. It was the kindest form of exile he could figure out to give me while he tried to repair relations with you._

_Some have likened this to prison, with the added risk of drowning, but I have never felt freer in my life. My men seem to enjoy being under my command, and I couldn't have received a finer crew. My contentedness bothers me at times. It seems unfair that I should have such freedom after what I have done. _

_After my mind starts to wander to dark memories I know I must rest. I will no doubt relive them in my nightmares, and my men need me reasonably well rested in the morning._

_ Your Eternal Servant,_

_ADM Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles_

This sounded nothing like the monster who had tried to take over her kingdom two years ago, nor did it sound like almost sickeningly sweet mask he wore for Anna. Elsa wiped her eyes with her sleeves. She remembered the story of the mirror form her childhood, but she never imagined it to be true. She racked her brain trying to think of any way she could verify that the legend was true, either way Anna had to read them.

* * *

Anna awoke to a soft knock on her door. She drug herself out of bed and opened it to find her elder sister standing there clutching frosted papers wearing an unreadable expression, "Elsa, what are you still doing up?" She asked with a yawn and a stretch.

"I need you to read these," she said thrusting the pages into her sister's hands.

"Alright, I'll read them in the morning," she said sleepily.

"No, please, Anna, I need you to read them now," Elsa's pleading eyes woke Anna from her daze, and she sat the bed and began to read as Elsa nervously paced the room leaving icy foot prints in her wake.

"These letters are over a year old, why didn't you tell me sooner?" Anna asked slightly hurt.

"I only just read them. When I received them I would throw them in a drawer, then the drawer started to overflow and curiosity got the best of me."

"The drawer started to overflow? How many has he written you?"

"Over a hundred."

"Have you read them all?"

"No, just those two.

"Whoa," Anna said slowly holding the papers away from her and eyeing them suspiciously, "He's Admiral Westergard!? THE Admiral Westergard!? The Admiral Westergard that had so much food sent to us you had to start sending it back!?"

"I know, we couldn't have made it through that winter if it hadn't been for his help," Elsa said still pacing with her arms wrapped around her abdomen.

"I remember that story about the mirror, papa used to tell it to us. I never thought it was real."

"Neither did I, I wish there was a way to find out."

"Kristoff!" Ann said jumping up from her bed, "Kristoff might know, or if he doesn't the trolls should! I'll see him the morning and ask him at breakfast," Anna smiled brightly at her sister.

Elsa returned a small appreciative smile, "Thank you."

* * *

Elsa had given up on sleep, her mind plagued with questions. She picked up the third letter feeling almost guilty for reading them since they were technically never meant to be read.

_HRH Queen Elsa of Arendelle,_

_Made port call in Corona today. I added to my library from a local book shop; there is far more sea than pirates. I have what one would expect inside an admiral's quarters. Mostly tomes of history and philosophy, but I have found myself oddly interested in romantic novels. When I first began reading them I had a great deal of trouble controlling my emotions and would often end up sobbing uncontrollably. Thankfully, that has since passed and I just feel a gentle euphoria when I close the book and hide it with its brethren in a crate in the back of my storeroom. _

_That was the unmanliest thing I have ever confessed._

_The men of my flagship have given me the nickname Admiral Freckles since all the time I spend in this accursed sun has brought them to an unwanted prominence. My shoulders, cheeks, and the bridge of nose are spotted with the damned things. I guess I should be thankful they seem to have run out of ways to tease me about my hair._

_ I find myself wanting to apologize to you for my tangents, but since your eyes will never see these words, it seems unnecessary._

_ Somehow the royal family found out my royal status (I blame my lieutenant) and invited me to dine with them at the palace. It was a lovely dinner, the king and queen were pleasant, the princess has a rather unbridled spirit akin to Anna's, and her husband was interesting (a former thief it seems), but the best part of it was its ending. Corona does not have Arendelle's mild summers, and given that this was a royal invitation it was customary that I attend in full dress uniform, so by the time I returned to ship and rid myself of the heavy woolen great coat and ridiculous feathered hat, the rest of my uniform was stuck to me with sweat. I write this sitting on the quarterdeck hoping the night air and slight breeze will chill me. It's not working._

_Your Eternal Servant,_

_ADM Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles_

Elsa chuckled to herself a little, but the smile dropped quickly. The letters were so random and flowed so poorly she had trouble believing them false. If he had actually expected her to read them would he have written what he had? She lied on her bed staring at the canopy until sleep took her.

* * *

"Do you think he could be telling the truth?" Anna asked Kristoff as they approached the troll clearing.

"I know the mirror was real, but if he had pieces in him, I don't know," she had such a serious look on her usually smiling face. He turned, wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers. He released her and she shyly smiled up at him, "That's better."

There was a familiar rumbling as the trolls rolled over the happy couple, "you two are just so cute together!" Bulda said as she embraced them both.

Kristoff blushed, "Where's Pabbie?" he asked quick to change the subject.

"In his hut."

The elder troll sat at a table studying the markings on a stone, "Kristoff, Princess Anna, a pleasure to have you visit." Kristoff hugged Pabbie then sat on the floor, Anna followed suit.

"The story you told me about the mirror that shattered, what happened to the broken glass?" Kristoff questioned.

"The pieces are scattered throughout the world. The noaidi have been collecting them to keep them from harming anyone, but some pieces are so small they're almost impossible to detect."

"Those small pieces, can they get into a person?" Anna asked.

"Yes, and mercy on those who suffer such a fate, those pieces still have all the power the mirror possessed when it was whole. "

"What if a piece got into a person's eye or heart?"

"If in the eye that person would only see ugliness and horror. In the heart, well, it would be frozen in a way. They would only be able to feel hate, pain, and misery. May I ask why you wish to know about all this?"

Anna fished around in her bag, pulled out the letter from Hans and handed to him. The old troll studied the document intensely before closing his eyes and slowly shaking his head, "that poor soul."

"You think he's telling the truth?" Anna asked taking the page back.

"Yes, these things happen rarely anymore, so I doubt he would know how to describe that without it actually happening," as if reading Anna's thoughts he continued, "No, he can't truly be held accountable for his actions, and his remorse is genuine."

* * *

Elsa paced in her study, snow falling lightly on her shoulders. Even after confirmation from the trolls she had trouble believing such a fantastical story; a snowflake landed on her nose as if to mockingly remind her of her own. "Is something troubling you, your majesty?" Kai asked as he gently placed her tea on her desk.

"Do you believe the story of the evil trolls and the mirror?"

"Of course, your highness. I have no choice, but to believe it," he said with a slight chuckle. Elsa gave him a confused look. "When I was a child Gerda and I were looking at a picture book near an open window. The wind blew in shards of that mirror that lodged themselves in my eye and heart. It stung for a moment, but when the pain subsided I was able to neither see any beauty in the world, nor feel anything but hate, pain, and misery."

Elsa stood stunned, "how did you get them out?"

"Gerda's love forced them from my body."

"Kai, please read this," he took the frosted parchment from her shaking hand.

His eyes grew wide as he read, "that poor man. When Gerda rescued me I was racked with guilt for being so cruel to her. I can't begin to imagine what he must be going through after what he did."

Kai had had nothing but contempt for Hans prior to reading the letter, his sudden change to sympathy cemented her decision, "pack my summer dresses and make ready a ship, I leave for the Southern Isles in the morning."

"Would your majesty like me to accompany her?"

Elsa smiled, "I would like that very much."

* * *

She walked straight to Anna's door before her courage could wane. She knocked firmly on the door, opened it swiftly and found she had interrupted Anna and Kristoff, fully clothed, but doing something she was sure she didn't want to know about. "I'm leaving for the Southern Isles in the morning," she announced ignoring the flushing in her cheeks.

"Wait, what? Tomorrow!?" Anna said jumping up from the bed and rushing to her sister.

"Yes, if I send word of my coming he will make certain he's not there. A surprise visit is my best chance of catching him."

"What are you going to do? What are going to say? I'm coming with you!"

"Anna, I need you to stay here and take care of Arendelle. I will take Kai with me."

"I…but…fine," Anna pouted, "You better tell me everything when you get back." She threw her arms around Elsa.

"I will, and we'll finish planning your wedding."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews!  
I still own nothing**

**Post Proelium - After Battle**

* * *

Protocol be damned, the royal flagship was large and slow. Elsa had tried to convince Kai to take a smaller, faster ship, but he had insisted they take the royal vessel to make a royal visit; he also reminded her that there was no guarantee Hans would be there no matter when she arrived.

She settled into her spacious, slightly overly ornate quarters, flopped on the bed in a most unladylike way and laughed as the pillow she had launched came to rest on her face. Her emotions were in turmoil, laughter came as a release of some of her pent up nervousness, confusion, guilt, and sadness. It didn't last forever and she found herself staring up at the ceiling and the gently falling snow. She sat up, pulled a small chest onto the bed, opened it, and pulled out his fourth letter; at least the trip would give her ample time to catch up on her reading.

_HRH Queen Elsa of Arendelle,_

_I lied slightly in a previous letter. My father did reinstate my naval rank, but he did not send me to hunt pirates. That was my idea (embarrassingly there was some whining and pouting involved in convincing him). He wanted to give me a fleet of ridiculously ostentatious galleons and to do exactly what I had been used for previously. I explained that I was not interested in being useless anymore. I needed to prove to myself I could be more than just a horrible mistake. _

_The fleet admiral gave me the fastest ships in the fleet and an incredibly experienced lieutenant. My crew, lieutenant included, expected an obnoxiously spoiled brat who would turn tail at the first sign of combat. I have been able to beautifully counter their expectations. _

_I spent the first several months learning to do every task on the ship (those of the surgeon being the exception); I traded this experience for lessons in swordsmanship. I insist that my flagship take lead regarding any hostile encounters, a fact my father detests. He worries my goal is to get myself killed. Some days I wonder if he isn't right._

_Your Eternal Servant,_

_ADM Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles_

Despite the age of the letter, the urgency inside Elsa grew. She had no idea what she was going to say, do, or even how she was going to react when she saw him, she just knew she had to see him.

* * *

Elsa awoke to Kai knocking softly at her cabin door. She reached up and pulled the paper from her face and realized she had fallen asleep reading his letters. She quickly gathered them up, shoved them in the chest, and kicked the chest beneath the bed, "Yes, Kai, come in."

He brought in her breakfast tray and placed it on the table, "it's not the fare served at the castle, but it's not too bad," he said with a smile. "Did you have a rough night, your majesty?" he asked with concern.

Elsa didn't understand what he meant until she looked in the mirror and realized she was still wearing the dress she had had on the day before, "Oh, yes, it takes a bit getting used to," she said sheepishly.

"When you are ready, perhaps you would enjoy stepping out on deck and getting some fresh air, your highness."

"That sounds lovely, I'll be out as soon as I've freshened up," Kai bowed and made his exit.

Elsa sat at the table and absent mindedly fed herself. Her eyes kept wandering to the small chest that poked out from beneath the bed. She had made a substantial dent in the letters the previous evening, but there was still more to go. With a sigh, she came to the conclusion there were more hours left in the journey than letters in the box and readied herself to meet Kai on deck.

"So this is his world," she said to herself as she stood on the weather deck looking out at the open sea. This wasn't her first sea voyage, but it was the first in which she took the time to appreciate it. She had been filled with fear the first few times she had boarded a ship; the amount of self-control it took not to freeze the ship in place had been exhausting, but now the sea spray tickled her nose causing her to giggle and took her mind far away.

"The captain says we're making excellent time and should reach the Southern Isles in a few days, your majesty," Kai informed her as he came to stand next to her.

"Have you ever been to the Southern Isles?"

"Yes, your highness. It's a very lovely kingdom; your parents would vacation there often."

"Thank you for accompanying me, Kai. Your presence is the only thing reminding me that this is real."

"It's my pleasure, your majesty. It's a lot to take in; finding out everything you thought you knew about someone is wrong. Gerda had the advantage of knowing me before I was the victim of that vile glass; you have only known Prince Hans as such. Until you started reading his letters that is," Kai gave Elsa a knowing smile.

Elsa smiled back but it didn't last long, "I hope I can associate his face with the Hans from his letters, not the monster I saw two years ago."

"I don't believe it will be as difficult as you fear, your highness."

* * *

_HRH Queen Elsa of Arendelle,_

_Most sailors have tattoos. These tattoos are usually small and consist of initials, names, hearts, mermaids, anchors, and the like. If I had been smart I would have gone that route as well, but no, I'm Admiral Prince Hans Westergard and if I do something I have to do it big. I had to sail half way around the world to visit the people who do it as part of their culture. I had to become incensed by the older sailors telling me that I was too soft to handle it. I had to prove them wrong. I had to be an idiot. Tattooing, if you are unfamiliar with the process, is extremely time consuming and painful. I lay on a mat on the floor stripped to the waist surrounded by three other men (some of my men stood nearby for what they claimed was moral support; they most likely just wanted to see if I would give up). The process is simple enough, one assistant stretches the skin, another wipes away the blood and excess ink, the master takes a comb carved from boar's teeth lashed to a piece of wood, dips it in the ink and uses another stick to tap it into the skin; the bicep and forearm were painful, but the triceps was excruciating. The work would last from morning until dusk (there were a few days I had to stop early due to the pain). The artwork is beautiful; which if it hadn't been after weeks of painful stabbing and a year of healing I would have been rather upset. Its design is of three passant lions encircled by the sun, there are rows of arrowheads and waves, it's impossible to fully describe it. It extends from the top of my shoulder to a few inches above my wrist (the last thing I need is for it to peak out from under my uniform during a formal occasion)._

_Why am I bringing this up now? I am docked in Arendelle, and other than the tattoo I do not believe my appearance has altered since I was first here. My memory of this place is entirely wrong. I refuse to disembark so I have no way of knowing just how wrong it is; I will never soil your lands with my footsteps again. I realize now that I have no idea what you look like; I know the memory I have of you is distorted, grotesque and horribly inaccurate, like my memory of most things._

_It took some getting used to after the glass was removed, looking in the mirror. I would see a face that I didn't recognize as mine (this led to many startled screams and feeling very stupid until I grew accustomed to it)._

_Your Eternal Servant,_

_ADM Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles_

Elsa had never thought about the possibility of him being in her harbor. If she had bothered to read the letters when he actually sent them, she could have cleared things up while he was there just a few months ago. She reminded herself that he neither expected her to read them, nor to ever see her again.

_HRH Queen Elsa of Arendelle,_

_Oh, post proelium port calls how I hate thee. Most of the men are at the tavern enjoying themselves, whilst I sit in my cabin nursing what will most likely become a black eye. We defeated a pirate fleet outside of Wilmhaven and were able to return the ships, cargo, and pirates with minimal casualties. Did I receive my injury during a glorious battle against these terrible miscreants? Of course not. I joined the men at the tavern when we first docked. It was fun at first, then one of my men let the fact that I am a prince slip (I find it best to keep that part hidden). Predictably I was bombarded by local men practically throwing their daughters (who were, thankfully, not present) at me, barmaids shamelessly flirting, and dozens of drunken critiques of royalty. As this occasionally happens in port, I did my best to gracefully decline all advances, ignore the snide remarks, and make for the exit. As I did this, one large, particularly inebriated fellow grabbed me by the shoulder slurred something about hating the aristocracy and punched me in the eye. I fell back onto a table, turning it over, and lay there stunned for a moment. He stood over me and laughed. Having had a few drinks in me at this point, I made a very stupid decision. I jumped to my feet and punched him square in the jaw. Despite my idiocy, fortune smiled upon me and he hit the floor unconscious. The tavern erupted in cheers and laughter, and I seized the moment to escape in the chaos._

_Then men are always full of vigor after a successful battle and like to add alcohol to that. I'm very careful as to how much I consume as I have made enough mistakes for my five and twenty years without adding alcohol. They also commonly enjoy the company of local women; something else I refrain from. I spent sixteen years under the influence of that bloody mirror so I lack some of the, shall we say, experiences of other men my age. Thank heavens, this will be destroyed, that fact alone would be fuel for the men to torment me until my death. _

_I find that I no longer have any idea how to act around women; a trait that tries and befuddles my father, and my mother finds endearing and amusing. I was at home for a time while my ships were undergoing some routine maintenance, and my parents took it upon themselves to invite a duchess from a neighboring kingdom for a tour of the isles. I, of course, was volunteered to captain the tour vessel. I was giving the duchess and her friend a tour of the ship when I thought I heard one of them whisper something about my backside. I turned my head at the comment, walked straight into the foremast, stumbled backwards and fell down the hatch to the middle gun deck. I lay there arms and legs akimbo trying to figure out what happened when I heard my mother laughing. I looked up to find all four of my companions looking down at me (my mother almost in tears from laughter, my father had his head lowered into his hand, and the two other women stood in shock); I smiled sheepishly and tried to right myself, knocking over several barrels in the process._

_As the last unwed prince they try to introduce to me as many women as possible when I'm there, consequently I try not to give them any warning of my arrival to prevent giving them time to invite many during my stay. I know they mean well, and maybe I've read too many romantic novels, but I desire to marry for love, and I know these women are only interested in my title. Many of the older sailors consider themselves married to the sea. I would prefer my marriage to be to a woman of flesh and bone._

_I hear the staggering steps of the men returning. I will put out the light and retire myself._

_Your Eternal Servant,_

_ADM Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles_

Elsa laughed so hard she chortled. If she had any doubt that these letters were never meant to be read it was completely dissolved. She could also empathize with his predicament regarding suitors looking for a title, though she found an irony in his concern in the light of his previous actions.

* * *

She didn't know why she waited to read the last letter until she could see Baltia, the capital city of the Southern Isles, appear on the horizon, but she did.

_HRH Queen Elsa of Arendelle,_

_I write this from my room in the castle of Baltia where I will unfortunately be stuck for what may be several months. We were attacked in the night soon after leaving home. Thankfully our night watch gave us some time to prepare, but we were boarded nonetheless. We fought them off, and as the sun started to rise had enough light to make use of the guns, but so did they. When the battle turned in our favor the pirates quickly retreated. There were too many injuries and my ship too badly damaged to chase after them, so we returned to port._

_I am forbidden to leave Baltia until my arm and shoulder completely heal (the sword hit my left side, so it did not ruin my tattoo). My parents are obviously taking this opportunity to invite as many eligible ladies as they can find. I find myself growing increasingly bored and running out of excuses to avoid these large gatherings. Over the years I have read nearly the entire library, and most of the books I haven't read I've avoided for a reason (I have no interest in the mating habits of various avian species). On duty I have plenty of things to occupy my mind, but here I am often left with nothing to distract myself from my past._

_Klaus' wife Gemma is as kind as he is, but, unlike my brother, is practical in daily matters and is able to discipline my niece and nephew. I believe part of her practicality stems from her being a governess prior to their marriage (the governess of my brother Naatan's son Gerhart). Brigitta and Jens are wonderful. I try to bring them home gifts from my ventures, but this time I can barely play with them._

_It appears it is time to change the bandages._

_Your Eternal Servant,_

_ADM Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles_

Her heart began to race; the letter was dated only two weeks prior. She knew he would be there, but still had no idea what to do with herself when she saw him. She only knew she had to talk to him, to tell him he was forgiven.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: :) Woo Hoo! Reviews, favs, and follows!**

* * *

Prince Klaus had seen the crocus flag in the harbor and thought nothing of it; despite his brother's actions trade with Arendelle had not waned. He turned his attention back to the documents he had been perusing before only to be interrupted by a knock on his office door. He sighed, he had just gotten the focus to get back to work, "come in."

"Prince Klaus, the ship from Arendelle," Frederick, his assistant, huffed out of breathe, "It's the queen."

Klaus shot up out of his chair, "Queen Elsa is in the harbor?"

"Yes, your highness."

"Have my parents been informed?"

"No, sir, I came straight to you."

"Good, I will tell them, make sure Hans is out of sight, but do not tell him she's here," He said pushing past the man.

* * *

"Father!" Klaus yelled throwing open the door to King Anders' study, "Queen Elsa has just docked in the harbor!" King Anders and Crown Prince Wolfgang exchanged shocked and worried looks, "I told Frederick to keep Hans busy and to not inform him of her arrival. Should I go to the docks to meet her?"

"Yes, I will find your mother and we will be prepared to greet her when you bring her in the gates,"

Klaus nodded and ran to greet Arendelle's ice queen.

* * *

Baltia was more than she had expected. The sprawling white city seemed to glow under the sunlight; the metallic roofs sparkling diamonds in the snow; the harbor stretched far into the distance on either side of the ship. Elsa stood at the top of the gangplank trying to perfect her composure; she straightened her silk lavender dress, adjusted her cape then looked over to Kai who smiled and nodded. As they descended she could see the people on the dock dividing to let someone through.

Klaus was not the type to be aggressive and apologized to every person he had to push past as he hurried towards the queen's vessel. He finally broke free of the crowd and stumbled a little as he reduced his run to a walk. He bowed deeply before her, "I am Prince Klaus, your majesty, welcome to the Southern Isles," he righted himself and gave her a warm smile. He was dressed in black, smaller than Hans, with dark hair that was starting to grey at the temples, his nose was slightly too large for his face, but his kind brown eyes made her understand why he would be unable to discipline his children.

She smiled back, "It's a pleasure, Prince Klaus."

"Please, come with me, King Anders and Queen Adelaide eagerly await your arrival at the palace."

"I'm sorry there is no carriage, it's just that, well, we weren't expecting you. Not that it's a problem!"

"It's perfectly alright; it's a welcome change from the time on board," she began scanning the names of the ships in the harbor in hopes of confirming his presence.

She clasped her hand over her mouth as she gasped and stopped in her tracks. There was the Daggry in dry dock. The foremast was broken and hung sideways; a large hole could be seen in the main sail as well as the hull. Klaus followed her eyes to the damaged ship, "Don't worry your majesty, she was under the command of our finest admiral, all aboard are alive and well." He smiled, "it is a miracle he was able to sail her home," he said sorrowfully under his breath.

"Prince Klaus?"

"Yes, Queen Elsa?"

She felt it was unlikely she would get another chance like this handed to her anytime soon, "Tell me about Prince Hans."

Klaus choked in shock, "What...what would like to know, your majesty?"

She stopped and turned to face him, "the truth."

Of all the people in the world she was the one who deserved to know it the most, but was the last person he wanted to talk to about it. He sighed in defeat, "Let us take a walk through the gardens."

* * *

He knew his parents wouldn't be ready at the gates when they got there; his mother took too long a time to get ready and his father was probably with her inadvertently making it worse. He took this opportunity to guide the foreign monarch and her steward through the palace's private gardens.

"It took us months to find a noaidi who had a theory about what could have changed him. I felt terrible leaving my brother in that isolated cell, but it was too dangerous to let him out. As soon as the noaidi arrived I fetched Hans. The noaidi confirmed that he was carrying pieces of the mirror inside him, and my parents wept on Hans' shoulders. Hans fell into a chair when they released him. He grabbed his chest, grimaced, threw his head back and let out an otherworldly scream then his head fell forward and he wept. When he looked back up it was as if he soul had returned," Klaus smiled at the memory, then turned to Elsa with a frown, "I know it doesn't sound believable, and I don't blame you if you don't believe it."

Elsa placed a gloved hand on Klaus' shoulder and smiled at him, eyes brimmed with unshed tears, "I do believe you. My steward, Kai, suffered the same affliction as a child."

"Really?" Klaus turned to Kai, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Indeed, your majesty. I was not under it as long as your poor brother was, but I too had pieces in my heart and eye."

"What was it like, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I don't mind at all, your highness," Kai drew in a deep breath, "I couldn't feel love, compassion, joy, kindness, or fear. The world was twisted and ugly, everyone and everything I saw was evil. People weren't people; they were objects in my way and nothing more."

"How did you get the glass out?"

Kai smiled, "the love of my dear Gerda."

"I brought Kai with me because he had a similar experience. You see, your brother wrote me letters; letters he never thought I would read. In one of the letters he told me the same story you just told me. Please forgive me for any discomfort you had in telling me, it's just, with circumstances like that I needed to hear it from someone else as well," she gave Klaus a guilty smile. "The reason for my voyage here is to tell him that he is forgiven."

Klaus clapped his hands together in front of his chest, "that's wonderful, thank you, your majesty, thank you."

"I need to speak to Hans on my own. I don't believe he will recognize me, since, as I have been told, the mirror shards distort everything you see. I would like to be the one to reveal my identity to him as well, if at all possible."

"Yes, your majesty," Klaus bowed to her, grinning ear to ear, "Shall we see if my parents have readied themselves?"

* * *

King Anders and Queen Adelaide stood together in the open courtyard just inside the palace doors. King Anders was a man who had aged very well. He had a well trimmed beard that accentuated his jaw line and added to his regality; the crown that adorned his grey hair looked as though it could not belong on the head of any other man, and his eye were the same golden green of his youngest son. Queen Adelaide wore an elaborate silk gown of soft pinks, and her dark hair flowed freely over her bare shoulders; she equaled her husband in beauty and presence.

Elsa had gained enough confidence over her short reign to not outwardly appear intimidated by the pair, but on the inside she wanted nothing more than to run. Kai's presence at her side helped her stay strong and Klaus' elated smile eased her anxiety and made her smile as well.

"Welcome, Queen Elsa. Please forgive the rushing staff, they are preparing rooms for your steward and you," King Anders said with a slight chuckle as a maid narrowly avoided crashing into him.

"There is nothing to forgive, your majesty. I am the one who chose to arrive without giving you proper notice. Is there a place where we may speak in private?" Elsa felt it was best to get things over with quickly with the king and queen; she knew it was going to be a lot harder with Hans.

* * *

"So you see, your majesties, why my visit could not be announced," Elsa finished her tale, leaving out the other one hundred and four letters, and stood before them with her hands folded in front of her.

"That would have been almost impossible to convey properly in a letter," Queen Adelaide said as she rose from her seat and stood in front of Elsa, "We thank you for your kindness and understanding and will gladly comply with your wishes."

"Indeed, we will prepare a welcoming ball and banquet for tomorrow evening. I'm sure Klaus can keep him distracted until after your introduction," King Anders added standing next to his wife.

* * *

Klaus found Hans where he could normally be found since he returned to port. He lay sprawled on the couch in the library, his injured arm across his chest, the other hanging off; the novel he had been reading lie opened covering his face. Klaus laughed to himself as the pages flapped in rhythm to Hans' slight snoring, "that captivating a read, dear brother?"

"Absolutely riveting," Hans said without removing the tome from his face, "What is the staff running around for? Their frantic footsteps have been interrupting my reading."

Klaus laughed, "Your 'reading' has been interrupted by them preparing rooms for guests."

"This means another ball, doesn't it?"

"Yes, tomorrow evening."

"Is there any chance of my injury getting me out of this one too?"

"I'm afraid not, they are very interested in meeting the famous Admiral Westergard."

"Can't someone just pretend to be me?"

"And who would you have do that? You're the only one of us that has that hair; if you didn't have father's eyes I would swear you were sired by someone else."

"Yes, I'm the only one of us that looks like his head was set aflame; the only one with these accursed freckles too," Hans sighed in defeat causing the pages of the book to flap again, "full dress uniform?"

"Feathered hat and all."

"Naval officers don't wear feathers in their hats, that's only military and civilians."

"Prince's do."

"I'm not going to win this, am I?" Hans asked lifting the book slightly from his face and looking at his brother with one eye.

"Not a chance."

* * *

Elsa stood in front of the mirror and straightened her dress; it was a silk pale blue off the shoulder a-line, with embellishments of lace and pearls at the neckline and hem. She pulled her hair up in the same style she wore at her coronation and stared at her tiara for a moment before deciding it would be best to leave it behind for the evening. She examined herself one last time and told herself she was dressing to represent Arendelle, not to impress him.

* * *

"Damn it, Klaus," Hans mumbled to himself as he slid his great coat on his good arm, and let it drape over his left shoulder; there was no way he was going to try to wear a sling over the coat, so the coat would just have to go over the sling. He didn't want to go to this ball or banquet, but if he had to go he wanted to at least be on time. Klaus finally came in with Hans' feathered bicorn hat and placed on his head facing it fore and aft, "Did you have to go hunt the ostriches for the feathers?" Hans asked with a chuckle. He envied his brother; he only had to wear a high collared tailcoat over his waistcoat and shirt and there was no hat involved.

"No, but the staff did have a bit of trouble locating it."

"How? I have five."

"Several were lost during the attack, remember," Klaus straightened Hans' coat on his broad shoulders, and helped him on with this gloves.

Hans looked in the mirror, "I look ridiculous."

"Come on, you can complain later," Klaus said dragging his brother from the room.

* * *

Queen Adelaide had been quick to introduce Elsa to Klaus' wife Gemma in order to give her a companion for the evening while the she went and flittered about the room, "Adelaide means well, but has no idea how awkward she can make things," Gemma said with an apologetic smile, "She probably introduced us, since I know the most of what's going on; other than Klaus, Wolfgang, and Anders." Gemma had chestnut hair that hung in loose curls over her shoulders, grey eyes, a full mouth, and wore a simple maroon gown.

"He told you?" Elsa asked slightly surprised.

"Klaus tells me everything, even things he shouldn't," Gemma said with a sweet smile.

"That's actually a bit of a relief. It saves me a lot of explaining," Elsa smiled back.

"Sadly, I never believed Klaus either. I just thought he was making excuses to protect his brother. Hans was never outwardly cruel, but apathetic and manipulative. I couldn't stand him, but he's completely different now. I was skeptical at first; worried it was one of his schemes again. That changed soon after when I found him in the library weeping uncontrollably into the arm of the couch. He had just finished reading the story of Orpheus and Eurydice I found out later. I sat next to him and asked him what was wrong. He turned and looked at me with the most miserable expression I've ever seen, threw his arms around me and continued to cry on my shoulder. Through the sniffs and sobs I put together that he was racked with guilt over what he done to your sister and you. It took him a while to learn to control the emotions he hadn't felt in over a decade. Thankfully, he has a better handle on them now," Gemma smiled, "I can't help but love him like he's my little brother."

* * *

Hans and Klaus slipped into the crowd drawing as little attention to themselves as possible, "Uncle Hans!" The men turned quickly to see Brigitta in her nightgown running towards him at full speed; a nursemaid trailing behind her. She wrapped her small five year old body around his leg, "Please dance with me?"

"I'm so sorry, your highnesses, she got away from me."

"It's fine, Priya, I'll handle her from here," Hans said grinning.

"Please tell me Jens is behaving better for you," Klaus asked her sympathetically.

"Yes, your highness, he's already asleep."

* * *

"Gita reminds me so much of you," Klaus said as he stood next to his wife and placed a light kiss on her cheek.

"What has she done now?" Gemma asked with a sigh. Elsa put her hand in front of her mouth to hide her smile. Klaus pointed to the center of the ballroom floor, "Oh, no," Gemma said as she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Elsa followed Klaus's finger to find a dark haired little girl in a nightgown standing on a pair of black leather dragoon boots and holding a man's hand in both of hers as they slowly moved about the dance floor, "Hans and you would let her get away with murder."

"Hans," Elsa whispered as she noticed who the man dancing with the girl was. She knew Klaus and Gemma were still conversing, but she could no longer hear them. His red hair shone in the light of the ball room, his golden green eyes seem to give off a light of their own, and his smile made her heart flutter; she had heard women commenting on the appeal of a man in uniform and now she understood what they meant (no matter how he felt about his hat). Kai had said he didn't believe it would take her long to reconcile his face to the man in the letters, but she was sure this is not what he meant. She wasn't ready, but she had no choice. The song ended, he crouched down to allow his niece to climb on his shoulders, and he headed towards her.

"You should be in bed, young lady," Gemma scolded.

"This, my lady, is my brother, Admiral Westergard," Klaus said as he introduced him to Elsa.

Hans turned his head to look at her and found himself slightly short of breath as he looked into her sparkling blue eyes, "Uhh...hi," was all he could manage along with a goofy smirk.

"_I realize now that I have no idea what you look like…_"

"This is my uncle Hans. He hunts pirates!" Brigitta announced as she pushed his hat forward and over his eyes.

"Thank you, Gita," he said as he lifted the hat from his head and placed it on hers.

"You're pretty," Brigitta said as she lifted the ill fitting hat.

"Thank you," Elsa said as she smiled and lightly blushed.

"Did you come to marry uncle Hans too?"

"I think it's your bed time, little miss, let's go find Priya," Hans said with his face as red as his hair and left quickly to find the nursemaid.

"I am so sorry, your majesty," Klaus said pleadingly.

Elsa laughed, "It's alright; she's adorable and he obviously has no idea who I am."

* * *

The seating arrangement at the banquet had Elsa sitting between Kai and Queen Adelaide and across from Gemma, who had Hans on her left and Klaus on her right. She found herself stealing glances at Hans more often than she wanted to admit. He was animated when he spoke and would move items on Gemma's plate when she had her head turned speaking to Klaus; Klaus, it seemed, was aware of the game, as it became obvious he was trying his best not to laugh no matter what they were talking about.

"You two are incorrigible," Gemma shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose when she looked down at the ship and smiling sun Hans had arranged her food into. Klaus and Hans exchanged a look around her and both burst into laughter. She had never heard him laugh before. It was wonderful; it made her smile and giggle no matter how hard she tried to stop herself.

"Hans! Klaus! We have guests, please behave like civilized human beings," Queen Adelaide chided her sons.

"Yes, mother" they responded in unison.

Elsa found herself really just moving the food around on the plate. She would glance at him and lines from his letters would run through her head, "…_I have found myself oddly interested in romantic novels._" "_The men of my flagship have given me the nickname Admiral Freckles…_" "_I spent sixteen years under the influence of that bloody mirror so I lack some of the, shall we say, experiences of other men my age._" The last thought made her blush given the context of it in the letter. She looked up just in time to see him turn his eyes away from her quickly.

* * *

Hans shimmied out of his dress coat and threw it into the chair to join his hat; he used his teeth to remove his gloves. He began the arduous task of untying his cravat with one hand, but was interrupted by a knock at the door, "Come in."

"Your highness, your presence is requested in the library," Hans nodded in acknowledgment and straightened his cravat, slipped his coat back on, and struggled to put his gloves on his hands.

* * *

Elsa paced in front of the fire place, the heat melting the icy trail she was leaving. Her stomach was doing flips and she was unable to keep still. He would come through that door any moment and she would have to ruin this wonderful evening.

The door to the library opened and Elsa froze in place, "You wished to speak with me?" Hans asked clearly confused.

Elsa took in a deep breath, "Yes, please have a seat," she said with a gesture indicating he should sit on the couch, "Do you know who I am, Admiral?"

"Sadly, no; I was never told your name."

"I am Elsa."

All the blood drained from his face and his eyes grew wide with surprise and fear, "Queen Elsa of Arendelle?"

"Yes," the fear in his eyes hurt her far more than she had expected; the temperature in the room started to fall along with snowflakes on the carpet.

He stood quickly only to drop to one knee in front of her with his head lowered, "Do with me what you will, your majesty." Elsa stood with her hand on chest stunned and silent.

After a moment she bit her lip, dropped to her knees, and lifted his chin with her hand, "I didn't come here to punish you," she said with sympathetic smile. The pain in his eyes caught her off guard.

He averted his gaze, stood and walked away from her, "You should have," he said quietly. She stood back up, wrapped her arms around her waist and stared at the floor. "Yell at me."

"What?" She asked looking up at him.

He still had his back to her, "Yell at me, hit me, spear with an ice spike, freeze my heart and leave me to die slowly," she could hear his voice breaking and saw a tear roll down his face in the reflection from the window, "I deserve no less."

"_He worries my goal is to get myself killed. Some days I wonder if he isn't right."_

"No! I know about the mirror."

"_I know I can never apologize enough for my actions, I fear it would be insulting to even try. Not a day goes by that it doesn't haunt me."_

"I came to tell you that you are forgiven," Elsa said, tears now rolling down her pale cheeks. He turned to her with an unreadable expression, "Kai had that glass in him too as a child. I know the man that came to Arendelle wasn't really you. I came to give you a second chance," she waved her hand and rid the room of snow, "I know how important those are," she said quietly looking at the ground.

He walked to the couch, sat down, rested his right elbow on his knee and lowered his head, "This is a scenario I never prepared myself for. I didn't think I would be able to hide from you forever, but after what I did I expected you to make me suffer, not to forgive me," He tilted his head up and raised his eyes to look at her with a wry smile; a look that caused her heart to beat faster.

"I would like to get to know you, if you'd let me," she said taking a single step towards him.

He rose, his long strides easily closing the gap between them, "as you wish," he said with a thankful smile, "Shall we meet in the gardens after breakfast?"

"That would be lovely," she said returning his smile.

"Until then, your majesty," he bowed and gently kissed the top of her hand.

* * *

Klaus was finishing some paperwork in his office before he went to bed, when a heavy knock brought him to the door, "I tried to kill her? Why didn't you tell me she was Queen Elsa?" Hans demanded entering his brother's office.

"She wanted to tell you herself."

"She's kind. She's wonderful. She's gorgeous. I'm insane!" he paced Klaus' office running his hand through his hair.

"Calm down, Hans. She's forgiven you; doesn't that make you feel any better?"

"No! I mean, yes. I mean, I don't know! I never thought she would forgive me. Kill me or torture me, yes, but not forgive me," he huffed as Klaus watched mildly amused, "She touched me; she lifted my chin with her hand and looked into my eyes. Her skin is a little cool, but that's not what sent shivers down my spine," Hans hit the door frame with his fist, "Damn it, Klaus, what do I do?"

"I have no advice for you. You have yourself in a unique situation."

"Don't I always?" Hans said sarcastically. "She said she wants to get to know me, and before I realize what I'm doing I agree to meet her in the gardens after breakfast and I kiss her hand!"

Klaus couldn't help but chuckle, "Well, then, all I can tell you to do is enjoy the beauty of nature."

* * *

Elsa quickly changed into her bed clothes, tore her hair down, and buried her face into the pillows on the bed in order to muffle her frustrated screaming. She had come to forgive him and she didn't regret that decision, but what she was feeling was not forgiveness. Why did she ask to get to know him? She should be on the boat back to Arendelle in the morning; she had accomplished what she had come for, but part of her had to know the man who had revealed himself to her over the course of more than a hundred letters.


	4. Chapter 4

Elsa breathed in deeply the air perfumed by thousands of blooming flowers. She tried to convince herself that she didn't know why she had agreed to meet him, but the knowledge of the chest of carefully folded letters that lie next to her bed in the guest room betrayed her. She walked enjoying the feeling of sun on her bare shoulders and replaying the events of the previous night in her mind. She could not deny that he was handsome and the freckles he had so much animosity towards just made him more so. Looking down at her hand she blushed recalling the feeling of his soft lips against her skin. She was torn from her thoughts by the sound of a strange conversation.

"Would you like more tea, Lady Westergard?" a small girl's voice asked.

"That would be lovely," responded the second voice which she could only describe as bizarre. She walked towards the voices careful not to alert them of her presence. Pushing aside a tree branch she was confronted with a sight that caused a smile to spread across her face, and necessitated the covering of her mouth to suppress a giggle. On a blanket spread on the grass in the small clearing sat Brigitta in a sun hat, along with several dolls, a tea pot, cups, and Hans in large heavily decorated hat. Elsa was not as successful in hiding her laughter as she thought she had been.

"Hi! Would you like to join my tea party?" Brigitta asked turning towards her.

Hans' head snapped to the side, his face blanched. He turned his head back, put his face into his hand and Elsa could see even the tips of his ears turning red.

"I would love nothing more," she said as she sat next to Hans with an unwavering grin, allowing her pale yellow dress to billow around her, "So this is where you disappeared to after breakfast."

He turned to her red-faced, "She has piano lessons in a short while, I was going to find you then and apologize."

"Oh, but this is so much better," she said flicking the brim of his hat.

"I don't have any more hats," Brigitta thought for a moment, "So you can be Lord Westergard."

Hans gave his niece an incredulous look, "She can have this hat," he said lifting it off his head.

"No, you're already Lady Westergard," Brigitta forced the hat back on his head; Elsa cupped her hands over mouth in an attempt to hold in her laughter. "Now, would you like some tea, Lord Westergard?"

Elsa did her best to deepen her voice, "Yes, that would be delightful," she picked up a tea cup and let the little girl pretend to pour tea into it. She brought the cup up to her lips and glanced over at Hans who sat pouting. She leaned over and asked quietly, "Attend her tea parties often, Lady Westergard?" Brigitta busied herself pretending to serve tea to her other "guests."

Hans couldn't help but smile when his eyes met hers, "She can play me like a mandolin."

"Your mother has been looking for that hat," Gemma said as she approached and plucked the hat from his head, "Gita, it's time for your lessons, go wash up and I'll collect your things."

* * *

After assisting Gemma with the cleanup the pair took a turn through the gardens. "I assume Gemma is used to Brigitta dressing you up in odd costumes."

"You don't know the half of it. This time I got off easy. Usually I'm Princess Hansmerelda who has been captured by pirates and she's my rescuing prince. She likes to use parts of my uniform for that," he flushed when he realized what he just told her, "You really didn't need to know that." Elsa covered her mouth with both hands to hold back her laughter, but it backfired and she chortled. Her eyes grew wide and she blushed with embarrassment. He smiled at her and began laughing, "That was adorable."

Elsa composed herself and decided to change the subject, "There is an amazing variety here," she said letting her fingers caress the petals of the flowers as she walked past them.

"Mother is very fond of flowers, and the warm climate allows her to indulge in them for most of the year. I would gladly trade the sight of some of these flowers for a milder summer," he said pulling his collar and cravat way from his neck.

She could see the sweat starting to bead along his hairline, "I can help with that," she motioned with her hand forming a small snow cloud above them.

He stopped, turned his face towards the cloud, closed his eyes and smiled as light snow began to fall, "You have no idea how amazing this feels to me," he said in a quiet, gentle way that made her pulse quicken. The snow stuck in his fiery hair; his soft pink lips set in a satisfied smile. He wiggled his nose when a snowflake landed on the tip of it. He wasn't handsome; he was beautiful. She realized she was staring when he turned his face towards her with a smile, "Thank you, Queen Elsa."

She turned her face towards the path as she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks; she smiled shyly, "You're welcome."

"Your majesty," Elsa turned to the sound of Kai's voice, "King Anders and Prince Klaus wish to speak with you regarding trade agreements."

"It's always something," Elsa sighed under her breath, "Thank you, Kai," she looked at Hans who smiled and nodded. She waved her hand dissolving the snow cloud and walked towards the castle.

Hans watched her until she disappeared inside; then realized he was left alone with Kai. He nervously dusted the snow from his epaulets and tried to look anywhere but at the portly steward.

"If I may speak freely, your highness," Elsa's steward said with a hand motion that indicated they should walk.

Hans jumped at the sudden sound and looked at Kai with panicked eyes, "Yes, of course," he quickly averted his gaze, "and there is no need for formalities. Hans will do fine, or any insulting name you wish to call me."

"I have no interest in insulting you, young prince. I offer my greatest sympathies. I wasn't under the influence of that mirror as long as you were; I can't imagine how you must have felt when the pieces were removed."

"Sixteen years. At three and twenty I was like a child in many aspects," he gave a sad smile, "I still am. I was flooded with emotions I was entirely unfamiliar with. I wasn't permitted to leave the castle for many months because I had so little control. I was prone to bouts of crippling guilt and thoughts of ending my own life; Klaus refused to leave my side. Joy and love I still feel stronger than seems normal, or I just lack the ability control my expression. I have no way of knowing which is true; maybe both are." Hans laughed, "One of the worst parts was having to reassociate everyone's name with their faces. I never realized how frustrating that would be to do with twelve brothers, their wives, their children, my parents, the staff and myself."

"Yourself?"

"I had no idea what I looked like. The face I saw grow up in the mirror wasn't really mine and it took some getting used to. Many nights I would startle myself when I saw my reflection," he smiled, "the staff learned to just ignore if I screamed in the middle of the night; between that and the nightmares it became ruefully routine."

"About the events in Arendelle?"

"Always, I see through the eyes of the man I was. I leave a woman to die of cold in the dark; then go outside to raise my sword to another. I try to stop myself, but never can. I have never seen Princess Anna's true face, but now I see Queen Elsa's eyes begging me stop," he shut his eyes and bit his lip in attempt to prevent the flow of tears.

Kai put his hand on Hans' uninjured shoulder, "You have to stop torturing yourself this way and forgive yourself."

"The fact that everyone else has is torturous. I can't see how I deserve such kindness."

"It's not kindness. A lesser man would have accepted that he was not in control of his actions and gotten on with his life. You have sought to earn redemption for sins you did not commit."

The two men walked in silence until Hans checked his pocket watch, "I have to go meet the doctor. If I'm lucky I can finally rid myself of this infernal sling."

* * *

"Finally!" Hans said dramatically to no one in particular as he flung open the door to escape the doctor. He fully extended his left arm and rolled his shoulder. A soft giggle drew his attention and to his surprise Elsa was waiting for him. He gave an embarrassed smile, "I'm just really glad to be out of that thing."

"Are you seaworthy again, Admiral?"

"Not quite, I'll be stuck in dry dock until I can get the strength back in it."

"Does it still hurt?"

"It does now, but he just ripped the stitches out," Elsa walked to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. The cool penetrated through his clothes and brought sweet relief to his swollen skin. He closed his eyes, smiled and a small noise of satisfaction rumbled in his throat; a noise that made Elsa's lower spine tingle, "Thank you, that's much better."

"Glad I could help," she put her hands in front of her and looked down as she played with her fingers.

"What brings you here?" he asked oblivious to her awkward behavior.

"I came to tell you that I will be leaving for Arendelle in the morning."

The smile fell from his face, "So soon?"

"This trip wasn't exactly planned. I need to get back to help Anna prepare for her wedding; the first fitting for her dress is next week so I'll be lucky if I make it home in time, and I need to present my advisers with the trade proposals your father and brother gave me."

He gave a sad smile, "I'm very glad to have finally met you under better circumstances."

"We'll meet again," she smiled back before leaving to ready herself for her morning departure.

* * *

She tried to ignore the fact it pained her to leave, and instead focus her mind on the details that still needed to be handled regarding Anna's wedding. The cake was designed, the menu planned, the fitting was soon, Kristoff had already been fitted for his attire, an officiant had been scheduled, the decorations had been ordered, the seating chart was planned, but she wasn't sure how to seat trolls, so she would have talk to Kristoff about that, and the invitations had been sent out. When she arrived back in Arendelle she would have to send out a few more to the Southern Isles if Anna would allow it.

* * *

Hans paced outside the palace gates torn between impatience and depression. He didn't want her to leave because he really enjoyed her company, but he understood she had far more important things to do. Besides, the more time he spent with her the fonder he grew of her, and it was painful to know nothing could ever come of it.

* * *

"May I accompany your majesty to her vessel," Hans asked with a bow as Elsa emerged from the gates."

"I would like that very much," she said with a warm smile. King Anders and Queen Adelaide had said their goodbyes at the gates, allowing Klaus and Hans to see her off.

"You really came all this way just to tell me I was forgiven?" Hans asked as they walked towards the dock; Klaus and Kai had walked on ahead.

"No, I also came to thank you for saving my people from starvation."

He turned his head to look down at the walkway, "A starvation I would have been responsible for."

Elsa drew in a deep breath and readied herself have a conversation she had had numerous times in her mind; "When I learned the truth about you I realized you were a victim as well. This realization caused me to examine the events of the past in a new way. When all was said and done the only person who was worse off after the whole ordeal was you. Well, you and the Duke of Weaseltown," she said with a slight laugh, "If things had not played out as they did Anna would have never met Kristoff, and I would still be a prisoner in my own castle shackled by the fear I was a monster. I would still see my abilities as a curse only capable of causing pain and destruction. Now, I see them as a gift to be used to help and create," she turned her palm up, formed a delicate ice rose in her hand and gently blew it to be carried away by the slight breeze. She felt immensely better having finally been able to say what she had been rehearsing for days, but to her surprise her mouth kept going, "your actions at the time were villainous, but really you ended up as my hero," she smiled at him, "I wanted to know the prince that broke my shackles and rescued me from my prison."

He looked at her wide-eyed and dumbfounded. He had no idea how to begin to respond until the memories flooded his mind and he somberly returned his gaze to the walkway, "I am no one's hero, your majesty."

Her smile never faltered, "You are my hero, regardless of your opinion," she pressed something into his hand and walked the rest of the way down the pier and up the gangplank with Kai. As the gangplank was pulled and the ship readied to pull away from the pier, she came to the gunwale and said down to him with a wicked grin, "Oh, and, Admiral Freckles, please continue to write."

He smiled up at her until the full implication of what she had just said hit him, he stuffed the item in his pocket and threw off his high collared tailcoat (it made running more difficult), then took off at a full run down the pier as the ship moved along side it, "You weren't supposed to actually read those!" he shouted to her as she waved. He had lost sight of his feet and the last Elsa saw of Admiral Prince Hans Westergard as she departed was him running off the edge of the pier and falling into the sea.

* * *

He drug himself from the water to find Klaus leaning against a post barely able to breathe from laughter, "Glad I could amuse you," Hans said as he stood next to his brother and shook himself.

"No need to ruin my clothes because you can't watch where you're going," Klaus managed as he tried to regain his breath, "here's your coat." Hans pulled off his gloves and used the tailcoat to dry his hands before he reached into its pocket to find out what she had given him. He pulled out an ice blue silk handkerchief with a dark blue crocus embroidered on it, "Is that a favor, little brother?" Klaus asked peering over Hans' shoulder with sly grin.

Hans shoved the cloth back into his jacket pocket, "No, it's a gift," he responded unable to stop the heat rising in his cheeks.

"Are you sure it's only a gift" Klaus asked teasing, "You obviously fell for her," he indicated Hans' wet clothes.

Hans gave his brother a look of confusion and disbelief, "Did you really just say that? That was terrible, even for you, Klaus," he said purposefully avoiding what Klaus was really implying, "I hope your children get Gemma's sense of humor."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you, so much for the reviews! I obsessively check my email for them :)**

**I cannot guarantee an update schedule :( It depends on my downtime at work. I will try to ensure that I post an update at least by Friday weekly.**

**Also, I have gone back and fixed a few errors: Typos, words I missed, I had the names of his ships in Dutch not Danish so those have been changed (my head canon is that the Southern Isles are magical Denmark and Arendelle is magical Norway), and I had some fashion malapropisms I corrected (I had waistcoat where I meant tailcoat, and vest where I meant waistcoat). I'm not perfect, so I'm sure there are things I've missed, but I'll keep looking.**

**Fixed the lines indicating a scene change as well in all chapters; I apologize for not noticing their absence prior.**

**Fru - Madame in Norwegian...I think**

* * *

The pounding on Elsa's door came much too early; she had arrived in Arendelle only the previous night and all she wanted to do now was sleep. She pulled the covers over her head and hoped her would be visitor would go away. Alas, this was not to be for Anna opened her door anyway. "So…" Anna said as she lay down next to her cocooned sister.

"It's too early," was Elsa's muffled response.

"The sky's awake, so…."

"Alright, alright, I'm up," Elsa threw the covers from her head, sat up, and looked at Anna with a very grumpy countenance.

"Tell me everything!" Anna sat up and smiled widely at her groggy sister.

"Can I please have some tea first?"

"Sure! I brought some with me," Anna jumped from the bed and brought over the tray she had placed on the desk.

"Of course you did," Elsa said under her breath.

* * *

"He ran alongside the ship telling me that I wasn't supposed to read the letters and ran right off the pier," Elsa said unable to prevent a smile and a chuckle.

"Sounds like you had a good time," Anna smiled as she helped her sister pin up her braid.

"I honestly did," Elsa took in a deep breath, "Anna, can I ask you something? If you say no, I completely understand."

"Why wouldn't I let you ask me something?" Anna asked confused.

"No, I mean if you say no to what I ask, I understand."

"Oh, ask away."

"May I send an invitation to your wedding to the royal family of the Southern Isles?" Elsa blushed while asking, though she couldn't figure out quite why.

Anna was a little surprised by the request, but smiled at Elsa, "Of course, I can't say no to you."

Elsa smiled and hugged her sister close, "Thank you, I'll have it sent out today."

* * *

"There's something she's not telling me," Anna said as she sat down on a barrel in the stable.

"Like what?" Kristoff asked sitting down in the hay next to her.

"I don't know, but you should have seen her face when she asked me if she could send the invitation. I mean, she said it would be alright if I said no, but the look on her face told me it would so not be alright if I said no."

"Are you sure you aren't over thinking this?"

"Maybe," she sighed.

"Besides, don't you have something to do with the dress soon?"

"The fitting!" Anna leapt from the barrel and ran to find Elsa.

* * *

"Princess Anna, will you please hold still?" the royal dressmaker Fru Sorenson asked impatiently as she tried to pin the hem of the dress.

"Sorry, I'm just so excited!"

Elsa placed her hand over her mouth to hide her grin. The dress was beautiful white silk, left her shoulders exposed, had fitted sleeves that went to her wrists, flared dramatically at the hips, and was accented at the waist and neckline with delicately embroidered green and purple rosemaling; it had been her mother's wedding dress, "you look amazing, Anna. I know mama would have been so happy to see you in it," Elsa beamed.

Anna smiled and wiped her eyes with the cloth the Fru Sorenson had given her to prevent her from using her sleeve, "Now it's your turn!" she said hopping down from the platform.

"My turn?"

"Yes, Queen Elsa, your dress must be fitted as well," she was handed a purple gown and instructed to change into it behind a curtain.

Fru Sorenson laced up the back of the gown and turned Elsa so that she could finally see herself in the mirror. It left her shoulders bare, with only small sleeves encircling part of her upper arm, and showed more of her chest than she was comfortable with, but not enough to be considered inappropriate. The sheath style floor length skirt fit her well, and the embroidered rosemaling was done in green and white to match the colours of her sister's gown.

"Wow, with that dress you might be getting married not long after I do," Anna teased.

* * *

The past few days had been exhausting, productive, but exhausting. Pabbie would be the officiant, the shorter tables and chairs were being prepared for the trolls, the dresses were fitted, Kai would be giving Anna away, and Sven was the best man. She could guarantee nobody would ever forget this wedding.

She sat at the desk in her study going through the stack of neglected letters and documents she had been dreading to go through. She made a stack of invoices to go to the finance minster, a stack of trade proposals and denials to go over with her advisers, a stack of letters from various aristocratic families offering their sons (most not directly) that she would have to politely decline, and one letter she would open later in her room.

"Your majesty, it's getting rather late, perhaps you should call it a night?" Gerda urged when she came to pick up Elsa's fourth pot of tea.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," she said as she stood and stretched, "Good night, Gerda."

* * *

She tossed the letter on the bed and changed into her nightgown, brushed her hair, and busied herself with other parts of her nightly routine. The letter sat there, beckoning her. She wanted nothing more than to tear into it, but she refrained; taking pleasure in the almost torturous anticipation.

Finally she ran out of things to do and greedily tore open the envelope.

_HRH Queen Elsa of Arendelle,_

_You are full of surprises. I had expected you to tear my letters into tiny pieces, or burn them. Maybe freeze them, throw them at the wall and laugh maniacally as they shattered. It never entered my mind that you would bother to read them. I guess if anyone deserves to know secrets that could utterly destroy my reputation it's you._

_The invitation to Anna's wedding was received recently and my parents are honored. They will be attending (you should receive their acceptance promptly). I, as can be expected, have been drafted to captain the vessel to deliver them. It is likely they intend to stay at least a fortnight; I offer this as a warning._

_It appears that since my injury my parents have decided that chasing after men with swords that have ships that shoot cannon balls at me is dangerous. Father, mother, Klaus, and Reinvald (for reasons I don't understand) are against me resuming hunting pirates. Wolfgang and my uncle Ansgar, the Admiral of the Fleet, see my activities as vital to the safety of trade in the region._

_Mother, father, and Klaus tell me they don't want to lose me after just getting me back. I appreciate their concern, but here I'm useless. Mother and father keep trying to marry me off, telling me that I can be useful to some princess or duchess advising them as their husband. I know they mean well, and that would be wonderful, but none of the women they have introduced me to have I had a connection with. Klaus, thankfully, seems to have dropped that subject with me altogether._

_Reinvald you did not meet, and I consider that a blessing. He is Klaus' fraternal twin and his polar opposite; I am the only one of my brothers that does not have either an identical or fraternal twin. He stands my height, has golden blonde hair, light brown eyes, and a lithe form; women fall all over themselves to get his attention. It is terrible to say such things about my own brother, but I don't trust him. He is incredibly vain and self-obsessed. Where Klaus has intelligence Reinvald has cunning. Klaus, Wolfgang, and he are the only of my brothers that still live in Baltia. My father made him finance minster, I believe to keep an eye on him. He married his wife, I believe, because she matches him in physical beauty and vanity, but lacks any real character or mental strength; she is a trophy to him. He claims the same logic in my remaining here as the others, but I don't believe it. Curiously, he's the only one I don't a memory of whilst I was under the mirror's influence._

_The Daggry is a total loss, and it will be nearly a year until another can be built. I have argued that I can do just as well with four ships if they cannot find a brig sloop to replace her in the mean time, but thus far my pleas have fallen on deaf ears. In an incredibly juvenile act of rebellion I take a daysailer out as often as I can._

_I hope things are going well with the preparations for Anna's wedding. If there is anything you would wish me to bring from my kingdom or the surrounding area, please don't hesitate to ask._

_Your Eternal Servant,_

_ADM Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles_

* * *

_HRH Admiral Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles,_

_Anna's wedding is coming together quite nicely. I had some trouble figuring out how to seat Kristoff's family (he was raised by trolls). Also convincing the staff that I had no way of talking him out of Sven, his reindeer, being his best man was a tedious affair. Her wedding will doubtlessly be a memorable one._

_Pabbie, the troll elder, and Gerda both wish to meet you; their reasons you can probably guess. Since the death of our parents, Kai and Gerda are the closest people we've had; Kai will be giving Anna away._

_I know my castle isn't nearly as grand as yours, but your family is welcome to stay in Arendelle as long as they like. Your mother and father are kind people, yes, your mother can be a bit absent minded, but it's endearing, and I welcome your father's advice. My parents were aware that I was to be queen one day, but my preparations for the position were not what I would have liked them to have been. I am certain they believed they had more time to teach me. It's a lot to have thrust upon you at one and twenty. I spent the better part of my life isolated for what everyone thought was my own good. Sadly, I know the cell with the hand shackles had been made specifically for me. It was a failsafe in case my powers become entirely uncontrollable. I was isolated after an incident in which I hit Anna with my powers when we were children. The blast hit her in the head (that's why she had the white streak in her hair). Pabbie was able to save her, but removed all her memories of my magic. He told my parents that fear would be my worst enemy. As you well know, he was right. My parents did the best they could to try to protect everyone, including me, but they didn't understand my powers anymore than I did._

_As Anna's wedding approaches my advisers have been pushing me to get married as well. I have met with dozens of men over the past few years and most I have been able to drive away quickly. A well aimed "accidental" ice spike during a sneeze works rather well; especially when I lie and tell them that that's normal for me. It isn't that I don't wish to marry, but my parents married for love, my sister is marrying for love, I want the same. Most of these men are so full of themselves they have room for nothing else._

_Regarding if I wish you to bring anything for Anna's wedding, I only expect you to bring me my handkerchief._

_Truly,_

_Queen Else of Arendelle_

Hans read the letter so many times he could nearly recite it verbatim. He felt privileged that she would trust him with such things, and even more confused about the blue cloth he kept in his left breast pocket. He finally folded the letter and placed it in the drawer of his nightstand and left to see his uncle Ansgar as requested.

* * *

He read the missive twice just make sure he understood it, "Who are you going to send to their aid?"

Admiral of the Fleet Prince Ansgar Westergard placed his elbows on his desk, interlaced his fingers and laid his forehead against them, "Rear Admiral Bjarnesen."

"Bjarnesen! He doesn't know how to maneuver brig sloops to avoid frigate long guns, let alone take advantage of them!"

"I know, Hans, but he's all we have available."

"Corona needs aid not sacrifices! For the love of Baltia, give me the Halvmaane, Svane, Fyen, and Stjerne and let me go!"

"I wish I could, but your father wants you here."

"Let him come after me," he said with determination.

Hans held Ansgar in his stare until his uncle looked down and sighed in defeat, "fine, but this is entirely on you. Dahl is readying the ships now."

"Aye aye, sir," Hans saluted before rushing to find Lieutenant Dahl.

* * *

Hans quickly found Lieutenant Dahl at the docks going over a list of provisions, "Admiral Westergard," he saluted.

"Do you have crews for all four?"

"Aye, sir."

"Good. There's been a change of plans. You'll be sailing under me, not Bjarnesen. I'll have my necessities brought on board the Stjerne. We sail at dawn."

"Where shall I tell the navigator to set course?" he asked as Hans walked away.

"To Hell."

* * *

It had been weeks since Elsa had received a letter from him, but she had little time to worry about it. The wedding was fast approaching and guests would soon be arriving. After the last time many of these kingdoms sent representatives she was thankful most were willing to give her a second chance.

"Most of the kingdoms' representatives will be here the day after the tomorrow if the weather holds out," Kai said to Elsa as she went over the list of things that needed to be done for the wedding as well as to accommodate so many guests for such a time. Some were only staying a few days, others a few weeks, "we received word from Baltia that they will be arriving a few days after the others. It appears some unforeseen circumstances have delayed them," Kai said as he handed her a letter, and walked on ahead of her. She flipped it over to find the familiar "H."

_HRH Queen Elsa of Arendelle,_

_If you are not already aware we will be a bit late in our arrival at your lovely kingdom. I am entirely to blame for the delay, and I offer my apologies. I got myself in a bit of trouble recently._

_Corona's merchant ships were being heavily raided by a small fleet of pirates and they sent our kingdom a request for aid. To make a long story short, I took the Halvmaane, Svane, Fyen, and Stjerne against my father's wishes. I only arrived back today. We disabled the pirate fleet, but took some damage ourselves. This time I don't believe any of my fleet is beyond repair, but my parents are rather upset with me (Reinvald is livid for some reason). The man that was to be sent would have most likely gotten himself and all the crew killed. He's not incompetent, but he's not used to that type of combat. He's excellent with a ship of the line, but you can't fight pirates like you would fight another national navy._

_The King and Queen of Corona are very happy with the results, my ships can be repaired, and I suffered only minor injuries. I will have a new scar on my side when the cut heals. There were no swords involved this time, thankfully; I am an accomplished swordsman (being trained when I was unable to feel fear has made me incredibly efficient with a blade), but it is difficult at best to fight a man in such a way on a swaying ship blinded by cannon smoke. A piece of the gunwale flew off when a cannonball impacted it, sliced through my uniform and grazed me. Alright, maybe a little more than grazed since stitches were involved, but I suffered neither organ perforation nor major blood loss and it is in no way as severe as my last injury. Normally I stay away from home until any injury heals, but I knew I had to return quickly as to ensure my parents would not miss Anna's wedding._

_We will be departing in the morning, which is a bit of a problem for me. My father has insisted that I wear my naval uniform for the duration of our stay in Arendelle. He does this as punishment, not because of the hat, but because all of my uniforms now smell of saltwater and gunpowder! He tells me that I should "enjoy the smell of victory."He knows I abhor the sulfurous stench of burnt gunpowder. I can force myself to live with it out at sea, but not aboard the royal flagship! A normal wash will not get the smell out immediately, it takes time. Normally I would have plenty of uniforms to replace these, but a good portion of my uniforms were destroyed with the Daggry._

_Please pardon the blood smears on this page; my bandage was changed and I didn't realize I had gotten some on my hands._

_Your Eternal Servant,_

_ADM Princes Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles_

The letter was bad enough, but the blood stains were too much. She was torn between anger and relief; she was angry that he took his own safety so lightly, but relieved that he was able to help Corona without loss of life; though she knew the anger was disproportionate to what it should be but she didn't know why. Either way, he was going to hear about it when he arrived.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you so much for your support ^^ I was scared to actually publish a story chapter by chapter. **

**Grab your wine and crackers because there is a bit that's rather cheesy. I'm a sucker for a sappy love story, so these things are going to pop up now and then. **

* * *

It wasn't a ship, it was a floating palace. Absalon, the royal flagship of the Southern Isles, was larger than any other ship in the harbor. Its mainsail emblazoned with the family's coat of arms: three blue passant lions with nine red hearts on a gold shield. Anna stood in awe as the gangplank was lowered and King Anders and Queen Adelaide descended, their clothes shining brightly in the midday sun. Anna curtsied to the pair, "I am Princess Anna. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"My dear, the pleasure is all ours," Queen Adelaide smiled warmly.

"Please, the coach is this way; the staff will unload your luggage."

* * *

Elsa walked the halls making sure the rooms were ready for their last guests, not counting Kristoff's family who would be more comfortable in the gardens than in the castle, "Queen Elsa," Kai said startling her, "I'm sorry, your majesty, I didn't mean to frighten you, but Princess Anna has arrived with guests from the Southern Isles."

"Thank you, Kai," Elsa walked to the entrance hall feeling as though her stomach had become a butterfly garden. She took deep breathes to calm herself, straightened the ice blue dress she certainly hadn't worn for him, and smiled kindly as she turned into the large room and greeted King Anders and Queen Adelaide, "I'm so glad you could come."

"Nothing could have kept us away," King Anders said returning Elsa's smile.

"Was Prince Hans unable to come?" she asked puzzled.

"He refuses to leave the ship," Queen Adelaide said apologetically, "he said something about refusing to dirty your kingdom with his boots, or something of the like," she sighed, "He can be so dramatic."

Elsa scowled and mumbled under her breath, "We'll see about that," she marched past the three of them, stopped, turned and asked, "What is Hans' full name?"

* * *

Hans had known the Absalon was a large vessel, but sitting in Arendelle's harbor it was embarrassingly so; it dwarfed every other ship in size and ostentation. As soon as his parents departed he went back into his cabin, removed his olfactorily offense hat and great coat, and sat down at his desk to go over the provision reports. He was jarred from his chair when the entire ship jerked causing books and papers to fly everywhere. He clambered to his feet and burst onto the deck to find what could make the behemoth move like that docked in a harbor. He didn't have to wait long for an answer; "Admiral Prince Hans Gregor Albrecht Brynjolf Westergard!" yelled a familiar voice.

He ran to the gunwale at the tip of the bow, "Queen Elsa?"

"Why are you refusing to disembark?" Elsa crossed her arms under her chest. Anna, Queen Adelaide and King Anders stood behind her sharing uncomfortable glances.

"I refuse to soil your lands with my footsteps, your majesty."

"You will come ashore and accept my hospitality."

"I'm afraid I must politely decline."

"No part of that was a request."

The ship rocked again causing him to hold the gunwale to prevent himself from falling. He looked down to see ice had surrounded the vessel and was now creeping up the hull. "Is this really necessary?"

"If you wish to be unreasonable, I will be as well."

He sighed and rolled his eyes, "Fine, but my uniforms are in no way presentable and that is all I was permitted to bring with me."

"Leave them, I prepared for that," she said with a triumphant grin. He descended the gangplank in dark blue trousers with a gold stripe along the outseam, his signature black leather dragoon boots, a white high collared shirt, buttoned waistcoat striped in shades of blue (with a blue silk handkerchief folded into a pocket square in his left breast pocket), a red cravat and his ever present white gloves. Without a coat he felt almost nude; the only time he went willingly without a coat or gloves was out at sea where the restriction of movement they caused could be dangerous, or when he was alone. Logically he knew clothing would in no way protect his heart, but he preferred to hide beneath multiple layers; the less he was wearing the more vulnerable he felt. "Now, if you'll follow me I will show your parents and you to your rooms," she walked ahead purposefully leaving a faint trail of frost in her wake.

Queen Adelaide pulled on her husband's arm causing them to fall slightly behind Anna, "It is terrible," she said softly, "If only he had never had the damnable glass in him, I believe they would make each other very happy."

King Anders patted his beloved wife's hand, "I believe so too, but the past cannot be undone. She is a remarkable woman and will find a husband that will adore her. Hans," he sighed, "I don't know if he will ever forgive himself enough to find love."

* * *

He opened the wardrobe in the room and was surprised to find it full of clothes that were not the clothes he had brought with him; trousers, shirts, waistcoats and cravats in an assortment of colours, high collared white tailcoats with different colored linings and collars and multiple pairs of white gloves. What surprised him most were the dress uniforms complete with hats, "how did she…?"

"Admiral Westergard, dinner will be served in the dining hall in half an hour," A voice announced through the door.

"Thank you," he yelled back. There was no way he would go to dinner smelling like he just left battle, so he pulled out a pair of trousers, a shirt, waistcoat, tailcoat, and pair of gloves; all fit him, albeit a little snug in certain places. He tied his cravat, tucked in the pocket square he removed from his previous waistcoat, and found himself staring at his own face in the mirror. In some ways he was still growing accustomed to it. He recognized himself now, but wasn't thrilled with what he saw. He made no secret of his disdain for his freckles. He also felt his hair, unlike Anna's coppery locks, was almost unnaturally red and would never part perfectly in the middle, his ears too big, his chin too long, his cheeks and nose too wide, his lips too thin, and his oversized eyes the colour of infected mucus. He flopped back on the bed and stared up at the canopy, he had confidence in his abilities as a commander and his skills as a fighter, but that was it. He knew he had the defining sailor's swagger in his walk now, too many scars, and a flair for the dramatic. He got too emotionally into novels, and generally wore his heart on his sleeve. There were aspects of the mirror's influence he almost wished he could have kept, but the memory of what he did last time he walked these halls immediately made him regret his thoughts. A glance at the clock told him he would have to continue his bout of self-loathing at a later time.

Dinner was what he had expected. He was seated far from Elsa, as his rank in comparison to other attendees dictated. He was in no mood for small talk and much to his relief he was surrounded by people more interested in talking to the other people around him. As soon as everyone was permitted to leave the table he found his way to the castle gardens; the other guests either remained to continue their conversations or retired for the evening.

He stood with his hands folded behind his back staring up at the star-filled sky and missed the view from the deck of the Stjerne. A navigator by the name of Thorfinn Skov had taught him to navigate by the stars. Skov had insisted that he could never know when his sextant would be broken; Skov had also told him to always keep a hook pick in his boot in case the sirens chained him, a habit he had ingrained in him due to the fact Skov would make him produce it every time he saw him and would randomly shackle him to his bed in his sleep forcing him to learn to use it. He missed the sea, things made sense out there. He didn't have to be Prince Hans, he was Admiral Westergard. Admiral Westergard fought pirates and saved shipwrecked sailors and civilians alike; he had never used an innocent woman's affections for his own personal gain, nor taken advantage of a sister's grief to try to end her life. He sighed and resigned himself to the fact he was going to be miserable that evening.

"Beautiful night," a soft voice said from behind him.

He turned to find Elsa walking towards him, her entire being seemed to shimmer in the moonlight, "Indeed it is."

"I missed you at dinner."

Hans couldn't hold back his smile, "Seating rules cannot be helped, your majesty."

"So, is it this side?" she asked with a swift jab to his right side.

He side stepped away from her, put his hands on his side and grimaced, "Yes," he responded through clenched teeth.

"Good," she said before turning and walking back inside.

* * *

Normally having stitches removed, clean clothes, and a bath would be enough to put him in a good mood, but he still found himself under the fog of the previous evening. He righted the desk chair, piled books and papers on the desk and began to mindlessly straighten various objects in the cabin. Elsa confused him. She had made it clear that she wanted him there, or at least that's what he had thought until she had punched him and walked away. He shelved the books, "I shouldn't have come," he mumbled to himself, "I should be out at sea, protecting the waters from pirates, rescuing those who need it," he sighed as he sat down at the desk, "running from what I don't want to face."

When he finished sorting the papers, going over the reports and returning the cabin to its proper order, it was midday and his stomach told him it was time for lunch. He found himself reluctant to leave the comfort of the ship, even if his cabin did have the faint smell of gunpowder seeping from the uniforms he kept shut in the bureau.

* * *

Elsa hadn't seen him since last night and she felt he at least deserved an explanation, but with so many dignitaries wanting to speak with her regarding one subject or another she didn't know when she would find the time. Most of the day was booked to either discuss trade agreements or military alliances, and she doubted dinner would go any better than last night's. She didn't know how she was going to explain it anyway. Yes, she could tell him she was angry, but she couldn't entirely explain why she was angry. All she could hope for was that he wouldn't ask.

* * *

For the first time in two days Elsa finally had a moment to herself. She sat on a bench in the gardens enjoying birdsong and the warmth of the sun, a flash of white caught her eye. He stood with his back to her holding his gloved hands behind him as he always did. Something about him made her feel playful and the thought of walking up to him and offering an explanation was entirely overridden by another thought altogether causing her mouth to move into a wicked grin.

The force of impact moved his head forward, sent his flaming hair flying, and it was cold! He turned quickly to see his assailant trying to hold in her laughter only to end up chortling.

"You would attack an unarmed…" he was cut off as the second snowball hit him in the face, and she laughed harder, "You do realize, your majesty, this means war?" he declared with an insuppressible smile, as he took off after her. Elsa picked up her skirts, kicked off her shoes, and ran laughing through the trees. He followed the train of her dress as it glided over the ground; several times he almost caught her only to slip on an icy patch she left, "You're cheating!" he yelled as he picked himself up off the ground.

"No, I just have a tactical advantage," she said as she ducked behind a tree, froze his boots to the ground, and took off again. He shook the ice from his boots and crept through the underbrush in the direction she had gone, his movements silent; Skov had taught him to hunt and hide because he could never know when he was going to end up shipwrecked and would have to hunt his own food, or hide from cannibals.

She was easy to track from the disturbances of leaves her silk gown left in its wake. From his vantage point he could see her clearly now, but was certain she couldn't see him. Her dress was pale pink and brought out the colour in her smiling lips and rosy glow in her cheeks, the beams of light that broke through the leaves lit up the platinum braid coiled on her head as if it were made of stars; he could have stared at her for hours, but knew that if he didn't move quickly she would. He came up behind her and seized her hand; she startled, lost her balance and pulled him with her as they tumbled down a small hill. They ended up in a laughing heap with him beneath her, she sat up on his thighs, and he propped himself on his elbows. She quickly grabbed a stick and held the tip of it lightly to his throat, "It appears I have handed the esteemed Admiral Westergard his first defeat."

"And what are your terms, Supreme Commander of Arendelle?"

"I will only accept unconditional surrender," she smirked.

Hans pretended to give it thought, "From you, I eagerly accept those terms," He looked back up at her with a sly smile. Her braid had come down in the tumble now hanging over her bare shoulder and loose sections of her platinum blonde hair framed her smiling face. He had never seen anything more beautiful and when his eyes met hers his smirk shifted into a small dreamy smile. In that moment he knew he was hers.

The feeling that ran through her when her gaze met his soft peridot eyes was more intense than anything she had felt before. She wanted nothing more than to entwine her fingers in his red mane and press his soft lips against hers. She focused herself and moved to sit beside him, "About the night before last…"

"Think nothing of it, I probably deserved it," he sat up and began gently plucking leaves from her hair.

"How are you healing?"

"Very well, the stitches were removed yesterday."

"You take your own safety too lightly."

He chuckled, "So I've been told on many occasions."

"How do you plan on returning that to me if you go off and get yourself killed?" she asked as she leaned towards him and poked the left breast pocket of his waistcoat.

"I…uhh…" his eyes widened and he stammered, her sudden close proximity causing him to falter, blush, and sincerely appreciate the fact she was no longer sitting on him. She stood, dusted herself off, and walked back to find her shoes. If she had been any other woman he would have sworn she was flirting with him, but that just wasn't possible.

* * *

Hans could not remove the smile from his face for the rest of the day; he was the life of his section of the dinner table regaling everyone with stories of adventure and triumph. After dinner he managed to catch Elsa as she walked to her quarters and stopped her in front of her room, "Do you believe you'll have any free time tomorrow?" he asked trying not to sound too eager, but he was sure he was failing.

She smiled at him and suppressed a giggle, "I like to spend time in the library after tea, and I suppose I wouldn't mind company." He stood with a goofy smile as she closed her door.

* * *

Elsa couldn't make sense of what happened. She could plot out the sequence of events, but that really didn't help. She knew she liked being around him; he was witty, intelligent, lively, kind, and some of the ways he looked at her made her knees weak. The handkerchief she was still trying to convince herself that she didn't know why she had given it to him, or why it made her feel good that it wore it over his heart every day. She had seen girls flirt with men before, but she couldn't be flirting, she told herself, as none of them had pelted men with snowballs or demanded unconditional surrender after tumbling down a hill. She never anticipated reading letters would make her life so complicated.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Update is a day early, mostly due to the fact tomorrow is going to be busy and I'm not sure I would have the opportunity to post it.**

**The novels they are discussing are (in order of mention): _Villette, Jane Eyre_, and _Shirley_ by Charlotte Bronte, _Wuthering Heights_ by Emily Bronte, _Pride and Prejudice_ and _Persuasion_ by Jane Austen.  
**

**To prevent any confusion, a ship's captain is the one commanding the ship regardless of rank. So, yes, Hans is an admiral, but when's in control of a ship he's a captain too.**

**I'm upping the rating to T due to innuendo. I haven't decided if I'm going to go M with this yet. Thank you so much for the reviews and support :)**

* * *

"I honestly don't understand, why is he the considered the more desirable man?" Hans asked seated on the couch with his legs crossed, the ankle of one resting on the knee of the other, one arm on the arm rest, and the other laying across the back of the couch as Elsa scanned the shelves behind him, "Dr. Bretton seems like a much better choice."

"Hmm, red hair, clever, spirited, I wonder why you would think him the better man."

"The similarities have nothing to do with it! M. Paul has his moments, I'll give him that, the bit at the party when Lucy was in the pink dress was funny, but he's just so moody and brooding. Is it the air of mystery? I would imagine a woman would rather have a man she can talk to. I mean, if you plan to spend the rest of your life with someone, why would you want to spend it with someone you can barely converse with?" he stopped only to breathe, "Seriously, Rochester kept his mentally ill wife locked in the attic and planned to marry Jane while he was still married! How could you trust someone after that? Moore knew Caroline was in love with him, but pursued Shirley for her money anyway. Then he comes back to Caroline only after being rejected by her best friend! How could she feel secure in his proclamations of love after that? How could she not feel that he only wanted her because he had no other options? How is that supposed to be a happy ending?"

"You realize all of those are by the same author?"

"Alright, well, Heathcliff wasn't exactly amiable. Or what about Darcy? He didn't keep anyone locked in an attic, but he was so closed off it took the intervention of a third party to reveal to Lizzie he wasn't what he presented himself to be." Elsa laughed. "What's so funny?"

Hans moved his arm, Elsa leaned over, folded her arms on the back of the couch and smiled, "I agree with you."

"So," he purposely drawled, "you would prefer a clever, spirited, red-head?" he looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a roguish grin that made her thankful most of her weight was being supported by her arms.

"Don't flatter yourself," she said standing up again and turning away to hide the redness in her cheeks. "Captain Wentworth?"

"Well, he's a naval officer, of course he would be an exception."

She laughed, "That makes a difference?"

"Of course it does."

"Elsa, Fru Sorenson needs us to come by for…" Anna stopped midsentence when she realized her sister was not alone; Kristoff almost running into her as her forward movement stopped as well. She had seen him from the ship, but wasn't prepared to see him this close.

Elsa stiffened, "Admiral Westergard, this is my sister, Princess Anna."

Elsa watched as Hans' smile disappeared, his eyes grew wide, all colour drained from his face and his grip on the arm of the couch tightened. He knew he was there for Anna's wedding, but since he originally didn't believe he would be leaving the ship he had no contingency plan for this. He bit his lip, fell to one knee in front of her and bowed his head, "Princess Anna, I…I…I have no…there are no words to express the remorse I feel for what I have done to both your sister and you."

"Get up," Elsa felt relief wash over her as Anna smiled. Hans stood with a very confused expression, "I know about the mirror. Pabbie and Gerda have explained it to me many times. It was just a shock seeing you. Though it will take some getting used to seeing you and not wanting to punch you again."

Hans smiled, "Thank you for your kindness, Princess Anna."

"Oh! This is Kristoff, my fiancé," Hans bowed gracefully before the ice harvester.

"Uhh, hi," Kristoff managed entirely unsure of what to do at this moment.

"Elsa! Fru Sorenson wants us for a final fitting!" Anna grabbed her sister's arm and drug her from the room.

Hans and Kristoff stood and avoided looking at each other, "I have no idea what to do right now so, I'm just gonna go," Kristoff said backing away.

Hans smiled awkwardly, "I don't think there's protocol for this situation, so that seems like a good plan."

* * *

As Hans emerged from his room he heard Anna laughing from the entrance hall, which wasn't unusual, but the plummy voice that followed caused him to involuntarily snarl. He followed the sound of her laughter and found her, his mother, and the owner of the voice that set him on edge, his brother Reinvald.

"Oh, Hans dear, your brother made it. Isn't that wonderful?" Queen Adelaide asked excitedly.

"Splendid," Hans deadpanned. The two men were the same height, but that's where the physical similarities ended. Hans was larger, his shoulders broader, and his face more boyish. Prince Reinvald's thick, golden hair was perfect, his jaw line sharper, set beneath his perfectly sculpted eyebrows his heavy lidded, light brown eyes seemed in a constant state of temptation, his slightly upturned nose was smaller than Han's, so were his ears, and chin, his lips were fuller, his black tailcoat was custom fit to show off his thin frame and his fair skin had no sign of freckles or sun; he could have walked out of a young woman's dream.

"It must be so trying for you to have to spend so much time on land, Admiral Prince Hans Westergard, hero of the northern seas," the sudden mocking tone he took caught Anna by surprise.

"I have managed."

"Didn't you tell me you plan on taking a boat out tomorrow, Hans?" his mother asked.

"Yes, mother."

"So, you're all better after your encounter off the shores of Corona then, dear brother?" Reinvald drawled the last two words.

"Just another scar."

"You must have quite a few of them by now, much more befitting a sailor than a prince."

"Oh, Reinvald, leave your brother be. A military position didn't suit you, but Hans has done brilliantly."

"Mother, I meant no disrespect; I am only suggesting that perhaps he should stop risking his life chasing pirates as an Admiral, and court a lady as a prince before he makes himself entirely unfit to do so."

"Not all of us have been gifted with your charms," Hans said coldly.

"You flatter me, brother, but with your reputation as a hero, and your title, I'm sure there is a lady that will able to overlook your physical flaws and your personality," The spite dripping from Reinvald's words was almost tangible and his vindictive grin made Anna very uncomfortable.

"Boys! That is enough! I'm so sorry, Princess Anna."

"That's alright, Queen Adelaide," she turned to the blond man, "A member of the staff will show you to your room in a moment. Please excuse me, I need to go do…something," Anna quickly exited.

* * *

"Wow, that was awkward," Anna said as she entered Elsa's study.

"And what would 'that' be?" Elsa asked without looking up from her paperwork.

"Hans' brother Reinvald came in this morning and I was there when he found out."

"That's what I get for addressing the invitation to 'The Royal Family of the Southern Isles,'" Elsa grumbled.

"Hans barely said anything and Reinvald ended up telling him that he was ugly and a woman would only marry him because he was a prince."

"He said this in front of you?" Elsa asked shocked.

"Yeah, and their mother. He was really charming until Hans showed up, then he got mean and kind of creepy."

"I'll have to tell Kai to make sure they are seated far away from each other at dinner."

* * *

Hans stood on the deck of the small sloop going over the rigging with the few sailors he had taken from the Absalon, "Ahoy!" He turned to find Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff standing on the dock, "Going out, Admiral?"

Hans' long legs stepped over the gap that separated the ship from the dock easily and he bowed, "Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, soon to be Prince Kristoff," he returned his attention to Elsa, "That is my plan. I was told you would be busy all day."

"My advisers can take care of can take care of today's meetings."

"Shirking duties, your majesty?" he asked with a playful grin.

"No, I'm delegating authority."

"So what brings you here, if you don't mind me asking?"

"We were wondering if we could join you," Anna piped up.

"I've never been sailing before!" Olaf said stepping from behind Anna.

"Oh," Hans' eyes widened at that the unexpected request and the sudden presence of a talking snowman, "That would be great," he said with a forced smile. He had been looking forward to a relaxing time out, now he was facing an afternoon of awkward.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you got sea sick," Anna said rubbing Kristoff's back as heaved over the side.

"I didn't either."

"Drink this," Hans said handing him a small cup of steaming pale, brown liquid.

"What is it?" Kristoff asked trying not to vomit again.

"Ginger tea, it will help. Also, stand up, try not to move your head, and look off into the distance until it fully works."

"Not your first time dealing with seasickness?" Elsa asked as he returned to her side.

"Far from it, I always keep a cache of ginger on hand. In the roughest seas it can strike the best of us." He thought for a moment and decided to ask something that had been plaguing him, "How did you have all those clothes ready for me when I arrived?

Elsa laughed, "Your parents sent them with their invitation acceptance."

Hans looked surprised; "He was just…" he let out a sigh, "Of course they did. I should have known mother would never have me attend such an event smelling like a cannon. That also explains the fit," he growled under his breath. Elsa raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Mother is so determined to marry me off she keeps having my clothes altered to, how does she say it, 'show off my best assets.'"

She covered her mouth to hide her giggle, then composed herself, "May I ask why all of your tailcoats are white, but Klaus, Wolfgang, and Reinvald wear black?"

"Old family tradition. Our house is known for having large families and a few generations ago the queen had the idea of colour coding her married and unmarried children. The unwed princes wore white, the married, black. The same for princesses, only they wore sashes instead of coats," the boat rocked as the helmsman shifted course causing Elsa to lose her footing. Hans quickly wrapped a strong arm around her waist and pulled her tightly so her back was pressed against his chest. Her face flushed and her heart sped up, "you'll get used to it," he laughed. Her eyes widened at the suggestion of getting used to him holding her like that. He released her, "that's why sailors have a distinctive walk."

"Oh, that's what you…" she cleared her throat, "I'm going to go check on Anna."

He shook his head at her odd behavior and went to talk to the helmsman.

"Feeling any better?" Elsa asked as she approached Anna and Kristoff.

"Yeah, much," Kristoff said relief, "Olaf! What are you…ugh…I'll be right back," he went to prevent the childlike snowman from doing anything he wasn't supposed to.

Elsa stood next to her sister, but her eyes were on ship's captain. The breeze blew his hair back and the light danced across the moving strands making it look like fire. Her view of him was from the side and she came to appreciate the adjusted fit of his clothes. The white tailcoat he wore shone brilliantly in the sun and she could just see the outline of the muscles of his shoulders through it when he moved. She bit her lip as her eyes trailed up from his boots, noting how the fabric of his trousers clung to his long, powerful legs and his well-sculpted… "You're staring," Anna whispered in her sister's ear.

Elsa startled, instantly flushed, and froze the small section of gunwale she gripped in reaction, "I…I was not, I was just…," she started to panic as she looked for something else she could claim to have been staring at.

Anna hadn't been able to stop playing the conversation she had overheard between Queen Adelaide and King Anders in her head. Could they be right? She thought about how Elsa told the story of her visit to the Southern Isles, how she looked when she asked if she could send the invitation, and how she reacted when she heard Hans was refusing to leave the ship. Anna laughed and playfully elbowed her sister, "Don't worry, I won't tell," she said with a wink. Elsa turned her flushed face towards the deck, but Anna could see the edge of a smile, "Maybe we need to talk when we get home."

"Captain, we have company," a sailor yelled from the crow's nest. Hans jumped the railing in front of the bridge, landed on the deck, climbed the rigging and took the spy glass he was handed, "off the port bow, sir."

Hans brought the glass to his eye. His expression hardened, "Damn, it's a flotilla," he handed the glass back to the sailor, climbed down, and ran up to the bridge, "bring her about, I doubt they'll give chase and I need some time to think."

Hans paced the small cabin racking his brain trying to find a way out of this. He pounded his fists on the table in frustration, opened his hands and leaned on it with his head down. Dahl wasn't there for him to talk to, and none of these men had seen combat. "Are you alright?" Elsa asked slowly opening the door and closing it behind her.

His head snapped up at the sound only to hang again, "No, I'm on a small ship with a crew that has never seen combat and the most important people in all of Arendelle I have to protect, while there is a fleet of pirates blocking our return to the harbor," he breathed in deeply, stood, and continued to pace with his hands folded behind him., "From what I could see there are four frigates and three sloops. That's approximately 128 long guns, and 56 carronades. We have four."

"Can we go around them?"

"Not without getting in firing range and the sloops would have enough time to move to intercept."

"How do you know they will fire at us?"

"I don't, but I can't remove it from the realm of possibility. We are a small unassuming vessel, not the type that would carry any valuable cargo, or be much of a prize in its own right, and there is nothing to indicate there is royalty aboard. It doesn't really make any sense why they would target us, but my instincts keep telling me something's wrong."

Elsa watched him pace for a few minutes then an idea struck her and a grin spread across her face, "They can't hit what they can't see," Hans looked puzzled. "They may have more guns, but you have me. I can raise a fog, but allow us to see through it and sail back to the harbor."

Hans eyes widened and he smiled, "That's brilliant!" he put both hands on her waist, picked her up and spun her around before placing her down, grabbing her hand and rushing out the door.

"You'll need to be up here," he said her taking to the bridge, "The last thing I want is for you to get hit by the boom when we're tacking," Elsa looked at him confused, "adjusting the sails, we have to sail in a zigzag pattern. I'll take the helm," he said relieving the man of his duties.

"Sir, what is your plan?" the boatswain asked from below.

"We're going to go right through them."

"Have you lost your mind, sir!?"

"No, this is probably the sanest strategy I've ever been a part of," he turned his attention to Elsa, "you'll want to hold on to something," he turned back to face forward, "Hard Over!" He yelled as he spun the wheel causing the ship to tilt sharply as he reversed direction, Elsa, having nothing else to grab flung her arms around his waist. The ship returned to a more comfortable angle as the course was set, "As much as I hate to inform you, it's safe to let go now."

Elsa stepped back, and as she raised her arms a thick mist rose from the sea reducing visibility to only a few inches. She then began what looked like an elegant ballet, but every graceful moment was necessary in moving the thick fog around the ship to compensate for the tacking. Kristoff held Anna tightly to him and Olaf held tightly to Kristoff's leg.

There were booms and long whistles could be heard followed by splashes; some distant, some uncomfortably close, "You're doing great, Queen Elsa. We've moved from our original trajectory and that's where they're concentrating their fire."

The booms got closer and the splashes more distant as they approached the blockade; the sulfurous smell of burnt black powder hung thickly in the mist. Everyone held their breath as the hulls of the other ships broke the edges of the fog; the only sounds that could be heard were the slapping of the water against the hulls and the creaking of wood between the blasts of the carronades. Elsa drew the fog closer in to prevent anyone on the decks of the enemy ships from seeing through it.

"We're through the line," Hans sighed, "but there are guns on both sides."

"I can do this as long as it's needed," Elsa said calmly.

* * *

"I think I've had enough sailing for a lifetime," Kristoff said as he helped Anna onto the dock.

"Yeah, I think I'll stay on land for a long time."

"That was fun!" Olaf said as he followed Anna and Kristoff back towards the castle, "Can we do that again?"

Hans helped Elsa on to the dock and the two walked initially in silence, "I'm sorry," Hans said unable to look at her.

"What are you apologizing for?"

"If I had only insisted you remain here, you wouldn't have been put in danger."

"You assume that I would have let you leave without me, and I'm very glad I was with you. If I hadn't been there's a good chance you wouldn't have made it back."

"You're right, your majesty, and it would be a shame for such a good little ship to be resting below the waves." Elsa smiled and rolled her eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you so much for your support and reviews :) I never expected this many people to actually be interested in my writing. I went back and fixed more mistakes I missed in the previous chapters, typos and the like. This weekend I will be helping my sister reinforce the fence so her husband's tea cup chihuahua won't escape, so, again, an early update.**

**The waltz is "So This is Love" from Disney's _Cinderella__. _****Fair warning has been given for my penchant for cheesy/fluffy moments.**

**In my head canon Eugene and Hans are buddies and like to act like idiots whenever Hans is in Corona or they're both in Baltia.**

**"Mary Mack" is a traditional Scottish patter song (it gets faster as it goes); not to be confused with the "Miss Mary Mack" clapping thing I learned in primary school. The version I see him singing is "Mari-Mac" by Great Big Sea.**

**"Roll me Over" is a bawdy traditional folk song (not sure of its national origin).**

**York and Corinithia are both kingdoms mentioned in Disney's series _Sofia the First_, I needed kingdom names and just went with it.**

**The general consensus seems to be that this story shouldn't go above a T rating. I can work with that, but there will be heavy innuendo and physical contact that may skirt the upper edges of the rating (it'll be at least three more chapters before that happens).**

* * *

"Gentlemen, please!" Elsa spoke above the members of her council as they argued with one another, "I do not know why those ships chose to attack or where they came from, but I assure you that I am taking every precaution to protect our kingdom and our guests. Siegfried has increased security around the castle and at the docks, and Admiral Tvedt has increased naval presence in the area."

"Your majesty, how do you know it wasn't another plot by that treacherous prince?" one of her advisers asked.

Elsa was shocked by the implication. She looked over at Kai who wore an expression of anger and great offense, "That isn't possible. No one knew I was going to be out on the water yesterday. Admiral Westergard wasn't aware that I planned on accompanying him until I showed up at the dock," she concentrated her gaze on the offending advisor, "we have nothing to fear from Prince Hans. This has been explained before, and I will not have my judgement on the matter questioned again."

"Yes, your majesty."

* * *

"So we have everything ready, right?" Anna asked barely able to contain herself as they inspected the chapel.

"Yes, everything is ready," Elsa laughed at her bubbling sister, "Remember, you'll be dancing with Kai first, then Kristoff will cut in and you'll finish the first dance with him."

"Who will you be dancing with?"

"Me? Oh, you know I don't dance."

"Come on, you didn't dance at your coronation and you made me dance with the Duke of Weaseltown, you owe me."

"Anna, I don't know how."

"Oh, I'm sure a certain red haired prince would teach you if you asked really nicely," Anna grinned.

* * *

"Princess Anna said I might find you here," Hans said as he entered the ballroom. Today's colour was green. He wore dark green trousers, with a silver strip along the outseam, a pale green shirt, striped green waistcoat and a silver cravat; the blue pocket square peeking out from underneath his tailcoat. The green brought out the colour of his eyes making them impossible to ignore.

"Yes, I have a favor to ask of you."

"Your wish is my command, your majesty," he said with a graceful bow.

"This seems silly, but Anna's wedding is in two days, and after the wedding there's going to be a ball, and…" she took a deep breath, "Will you teach me how to dance?"

"It would be an honor," he couldn't have stopped the smile that spread across his face if he had wanted to.

* * *

"We don't have time to go over multiple dances, so we'll just stick to a simple waltz," he walked over to the metronome on the piano and set the proper time signature. Elsa took in a deep breath and brushed imaginary dust off of her dark blue gown as he approached her, "This hand goes on my shoulder, this hand goes in my hand, and my other hand goes on the small of your back," Elsa was suddenly very aware of how intimate dancing could be, "I'll lead, don't worry about rhythm yet, you need to get the steps down first. I'll step forward with my left foot, and you step back with your right, now bring your left foot to meet it. Good, now step forward with your right foot, now bring your other foot to meet it. We're going to make a square."

They went slowly through the motions; Elsa watching her feet the entire time, "You're going to have to look at your dance partner, your majesty," Hans chuckled.

"I'm just trying to ensure I don't step on your feet."

"If you do, I doubt it'll hurt much." Hans slowly sped up until they matched the time signature, "See, you've got it," he smiled at her.

"Thank you, but I doubt they'll have a metronome at the ball."

"True, but I can't play and dance too, and I only know the lyrics to one waltz."

"Why don't you sing it then? That would at least help me be to able to dance with music instead of just ticking."

"I…uhh…don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Well…the lyrics…"

"You're only teaching me to dance, but if you're that concerned about it, just sing it so only I can hear."

Hans realized he wasn't going to win and went to stop the metronome. He walked back to her trying to think of any other waltz he knew the words to, or any way out of this, but as he looked at her his mind forgot what it was trying to do. He stood in front of her looking into her eyes his mind void except for the depth of the blue in front of him, "The song?" Elsa reminded him.

"Oh, right, sorry," he flushed and resumed their dancing positions; he breathed in deeply, swallowed hard, and regretted opening his mouth. As they moved he leaned in, pressing his chest to hers and putting his mouth next to her ear:

_So this is love, hmm_

_So this is love…_

Elsa wasn't prepared for the surge that ran up her spine as his velvety voice entered her ear and his breath moved against her skin. "Are you alright," he asked as her knees gave out and he had to catch her.

"Yes, I'm fine, just lost my balance," she reddened and straightened herself back up, "please, continue."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He leaned back in:

_So this is what makes life divine_

_I'm all aglow hmm, _

_And now I know,_

_The key to all heaven is mine…_

She breathed him in and decided that it was wholly unfair what just the wonderful scent of this man did to her.

_My heart has wings, hmm,_

_And I can fly,_

_ I'll touch every star in the sky…_

He loved the feeling of her hand in his even if it was through his gloves, and maybe he was holding her tighter than he needed to, but her grip on his shoulder and her stumble earlier helped him justify it.

_So this is the miracle, _

_That I've been dreaming of,_

_Hmm, hmm, _

_So this is love._

She frowned as he pulled his head away and let her go, "You did very well, your majesty," he said unable to look her in the face, "you should be ready for the ball."

"You're an excellent teacher, Admiral," she said as she studied her feet, "I…um…need to go check on a few details for the wedding."

"Yeah, I need to go choose an outfit for that."

Elsa looked up, "No you don't. You're going to wear your dress uniform."

"Oh, I am, am I?" he looked up with a raised eyebrow and folded his hands behind him.

"Feathered hat and all," she said grinning as she took a step towards him with her hands folded behind her.

"Don't I get a say this?" he took a step forward.

"None," they now stood toe to toe.

"And how would you plan to enforce that?"

"Have all your other options removed from your room. I know you will not wear your clothes for more than one day."

"Clever girl," the urge to sweep her up in his arms and taste her mouth was almost too much for him to bear, "I will save you the trouble and comply with your wishes as I am indebted to your hospitality."

"Glad we could come to an agreement," Elsa smiled as she walked past him. Hans' eyes followed her as she left the ballroom.

* * *

Hans sat in the chapel and couldn't decide if this was amazing or just ridiculous. The half of the chapel he sat on was filled with nobles and dignitaries (his parents lovingly holding hands and leaning on one another, Reinvald looking bored); the other half was filled with trolls. On one side of the altar stood a reindeer with a bow on his neck next to a very nervous Kristoff in beautifully tailored clothes that just did not suit him, and in the middle an aged troll stood. The doors in the back of the chapel opened and a small troll rolled in, popped up, and began proudly littering the aisle with flower petals. Following the enthusiastic creature was Elsa in a beautiful violet gown that tastefully showed off her curves, the neckline lower than he had ever seen her wear, and her platinum hair braided with flowers hanging over her bare shoulder. He suddenly felt embarrassed of the time they had spent together; how dare he believe he was worthy of the attentions of a goddess. Her pale hair and milky white skin seemed to glow in the light that streamed in through the windows; his mind began filling in the areas covered by violet silk. She caught his gaze and shyly smiled causing a lump to form in his throat and for him to be thankful for the feathered bicorn that rested in his lap. All heads turned when Anna and Kai came in except his.

* * *

Hans was stopped from exiting the chapel by a small tug on his coat, he turned to find the troll identified as Pabbie, "May I?" Pabbie asked indicating he wanted to look in Hans' eyes. Hans knelt down before him; the other trolls gathered behind Pabbie, "Hmm, you still carry the wounds within you. They will heal, lad, but you have to let go of a past," Hans tried to look away, but the troll took his chin in his hand and continued to examine his eyes, "I can't take the memories away, but I can help you remember them more clearly," he closed his eyes and placed his hands on either side of Hans' head. Hans' eyes widened and his mouth fell slightly open as memories rushed through his mind changing from the visions he remembered to what had been truly there, "You may need to rest here for a few minutes."

Hans stumbled and saw down in a pew, "Thank you."

"No, it is the least I could do to help make amends for the pain caused by our ancestors," Pabbie turned before he left the chapel, "You are the man you choose to be now, not the man you were forced to be then."

* * *

"It was a beautiful ceremony," Elsa said as she came to stand next to Hans as they watched Anna and Kristoff dance.

"Indeed, though I'm not sure what troll-fully wedded means," he laughed, "I noticed Kristoff's family left soon after the ceremony."

"Yes, ballroom dancing isn't exactly something trolls are comfortable with."

"I would imagine not. You look absolutely breathtaking, your majesty."

Elsa blushed and smiled at the floor, "Thank you, Admiral."

Hans gathered his courage, "Would you care to dance? I promise I won't sing again," he smiled at her and held out his hand.

"Aww, but that was the best part," she said with a laugh and placed her hand in his.

* * *

"If it isn't Admiral Westergard," Prince Eugene laughed as he approached Hans in the dining hall, "Why are you wearing that get up?"

"Queen Elsa gave me no choice."

"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you about that. Is there something going on between you two?"

Hans nearly spit out his champagne, "No, why do you ask?" Hans pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his mouth and the front of his coat in case any had escaped.

Eugene chuckled, "Well, you to do spend a lot of time together, you were the only one she would dance with, other than Kai and Kristoff, you two dance as close as Rapunzel and I do, and I've overheard the staff talking."

"Wha…what do you mean you've overhead the staff?" Hans whispered harshly.

"I've heard a couple of the maids saying they think she's, how do I say this politely, taken you for her paramour."

"What!" Hans yelled causing several people to look in his direction.

"Don't worry; mostly they were talking about how they would love to take her place," Eugene gave a sly grin, "Haven't you noticed the lack of single women fawning all over you?"

"With so many other men I just assumed..." Hans smacked his hand against his face, "Do you think she's heard?"

"I doubt it. They're pretty quiet about it," he grinned, "I'm just a good listener," he took a sip from his glass, "So, why isn't there anything going between you?"

Hans sighed, "Come with me. I have a tale for you."

* * *

"Magic hair, ice powers, evil mirror shards, things get complicated for you royals," Eugene said as they reentered the dining hall.

"Remember, you're one of us now."

"Oh no, I married into it, that's different," Hans looked at Elsa from across the room; Eugene followed his gaze in time to see Elsa quickly look away when she met Hans' eyes, "And, you know, I still wouldn't count yourself out."

"What about 'I left her sister to die and tried to kill her' do you not understand?"

"That wasn't you, everybody but you knows that. You're the guy that sang 'Roll me Over' on the tables at the Snuggly Duckling with me a few months ago, which is kind of ironic given your," Eugene cleared his throat and grinned, "lack of experience."

"Remind me again why I'm friends with you."

"All I'm saying is that there is no way the you I know could've pulled that off."

"I'm unsure if that was a compliment or an insult."

"Take it as a compliment. I only meant you're too nice, it wasn't a stab at your charm or intelligence there, captain." Eugene paused for a second, "Do you always sing when you drink?"

"Not always," he laughed, "I just enjoy it, and in that setting singing is acceptable and no one cares how you sound."

"Yeah, that makes sense. Only a sober man could sing 'Mary Mack' as fast as you can and dance without falling over," Eugene dropped his smile, "Seriously though, I'd hate to see you miss out on something great. You're a good man, Hans," he slapped him on the back and went to join his wife.

* * *

Elsa felt out of place standing next to Anna and Kristoff, and Rapunzel and Eugene. She found herself longing for Hans' presence and scanned the crowd for him. He was talking to the coquettish princess of York. Something bristled inside her when the woman touched his arm and didn't remove her hand. Elsa quickly looked away, but kept glancing over growing angrier.

Hans was glad when she left, she had obviously had too much champagne and kept holding on to him to prevent from falling over, or at least that's what she told him. He looked around for Elsa and found her engaged in conversation with the prince of Corinthia. The man was obviously flirting with her, and she looked to be enjoying it; the trouble the man appeared to have in keeping eye contact with her upset him. Angry and hurt he placed his empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter and decided to retire for the evening.

* * *

He was still angry the next morning and nearly choked himself tying his cravat. His sleep had been poor, his bath water too warm, and his hair refused to cooperate. He gave up on his hair; he didn't have anyone he needed to impress anyway. He threw on his civilian overcoat, closed the door to the room a little too hard and startled himself causing a maid to giggle. He huffed and continued down the hall towards the doors leading out of the castle, "Enjoy your time with Princess Penelope?" he turned to find Elsa with her arms crossed under her chest and a haughty expression; snow began to fall lightly.

"She was rather inebriated, but generally pleasant," he said matching her tone and expression, "You seemed to be getting on quite well with Prince Eudoro," he could see his breath now.

"I found him to be amiable."

"I supposed you'll be spending your post tea afternoons with him then."

"No, why would I?"

"You were giggling like a maiden receiving her first suitor at everything that came out of his mouth!" Hans brought his hands from behind him and crossed his arms over his chest. The snow fell heavier and a strong wind began to blow.

Elsa stood aghast, but her expression quickly hardened and her arms fell to her sides with her hands clenched in tight fists, "Given the way you let her hang all over you, am I to assume you'll be taking Princess Penelope with you next time you go out on the water?"

"Let her hang on me? What are you…?" Hans rolled his eyes and ran his hands down his face. "I should have stayed on the Absalon."

"No one is forcing you to stay in the castle!"

"Then maybe I should spend the reminder of my time here on board!"

"Maybe you should!"

"Fine!" Hans turned on his heel and stormed out of the castle.

"Fine!" Elsa yelled after him.

* * *

"We've looked everywhere, your majesty," Siegfried, the captain of the Royal Guard, informed Elsa and the group with her, "He's not in the castle, in town, or aboard the Absalon."

"Have you checked the tavern by the docks?" Eugene asked concerned. Queen Adelaide looked at him confused, "He likes to sing," he offered with a shrug.

The expression on Siegfried's face clearly indicated he had wished Eugene hadn't asked, "We have," he let out a heavy sigh, "I spoke to the owner of the establishment and he confirmed Prince Hans was in attendance earlier in the evening. I was hoping to tell you this in a better setting, your majesty, but outside the tavern we found traces of blood and drag marks. I believe he has been taken, but I do not know by whom."

Elsa's hands went to her mouth, "My baby!" wailed Queen Adelaide as she sobbed into her husband's shoulder; Reinvald silently patted his mother's back. Elsa was consumed with fear and regret. She didn't mean to fight with him. No matter how hard she had tried to call it something else she eventually had to accept it for what it was; jealousy had gotten the better of her.

"I assure you, your majesties, we will not stop searching."

"Thank you, Siegfried," was all Elsa could manage before her quivering lip threatened to unleash the tears she was holding back.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm too impatient to wait for Friday. Thank you so much for the reviews and encouragement :)**

**The pirate accents are a mess and I apologize for that; I ended up mixing cockney and American redneck.**

**Baboon Watch - The watch a sailor takes in port while everyone else is either ashore or below deck.**

**Holystoning - Scrubbing the deck (it was called the holy stone because you got on your knees to use it).**

**The Surly Mermaid was the name of one of the one ships in Sydney harbour in _Finding Nemo_**

* * *

Hans knew he hadn't drank that much, but his splitting headache begged to differ. He tried to move his hands from behind him, but found a resistance he wasn't expecting. He tried to open his eyes only to find his vision obscured by what he assumed was a blindfold, and he could feel cold metal around his throat. It took all his will to control the panic that began to rise inside him. He forced himself to listen; he could hear only water splashing against rocks and the echoes of dripping. There were no voices or sounds of footsteps, so he assumed it was safe to move.

After many painful attempts he finally worked the shackles and chain under his legs and brought his hands to the front. He pulled off the blindfold and found himself in a sea cave, the shackle around his neck was held to the wall by a short chain. He dug in his boot and found the hook pick. He made quick work of his shackles and slowly crept towards the front of the cave. The mouth of the cave was large enough for a ship to enter and he assumed that's how he ended up there, but there was no ship there now.

His only guard was a thin man with a sword and crossbow that had his back to him. Hans snuck up behind him, put his arm around the man's throat pinching his trachea in his elbow, wrapped his leg around the man's legs and locked it by putting his foot behind his other knee. They both fell to the cave floor, the pirate losing consciousness quickly. Hans drug him back to where he had been and shackled him the same way; he used the blindfold as a gag hoping to buy himself more time when the man woke up. He used the pirate's knife to cut the strings on the crossbow then took the knife and sword and headed toward the mouth of the cave; he had no delusion that he would escape that way, but if he was going to go deeper into the cave and hope he could find a way out that wasn't the cave mouth he was going to need a torch.

* * *

Shortly after the word arrived of Hans' presumed kidnapping Reinvald left saying he was going out searching, Queen Adelaide refused to leave her room and King Anders refused to leave her side. The staff could see their breath as they passed Elsa's room. Inside snow covered the floor and ice hung from the ceiling. She cried into the shoulder of her heavily clothed sister and gripped her as if she would fall apart if Anna let her go, "I'm so sorry," she said between sobs, "Hans is dead and I ruined your honeymoon!"

"Elsa, this isn't your fault. You heard Siegfried, he's probably being held for ransom or something. Not that that's great or anything, but I'm sure he's alive," Anna stroked her sister's hair with a mittened hand, "And don't worry about our honeymoon, we'll go when Hans gets back."

* * *

Hans lit the torch from the lantern that hung on the outside of the small wooden shack built inside the cave. While accomplishing his silent task he overheard two men from within.

"He's pretty mad about the admiral gettin' away."

"I know, but how could we a'known that fog was gonna roll in?"

"Well, Arendelle is ruled by that ice witch, I'm a'guessin' ya gotta expect strange things in those waters."

"Have ya sent out the note yet?"

"Aye. Not sure why he's waitin' ta kill 'im though."

"Iffin' we kill 'im now we'll have their whole damn navy huntin' us down. He is a prince. Right now he's off the water and he'll take care of 'im later; make it look like an accident or sumthin'."

Hans didn't wait around for more; the torch would only last for so long, but he now knew he was being hunted, he was no longer in Arendelle, and it was imperative he escape.

His guard was still unconscious and Hans stopped to make sure he was still breathing. The ceiling in the back of the cave sharply dropped forcing him to duck as he walked. The path he had chosen wound strangely and seemed to be going upward, but narrowed significantly. Much to his dislike he was forced on his hands and knees to peer down the tunnel, but to his delight he could see sunlight and it looked wide enough for him to fit through. There was no possible way he could take the torch with him lit, so he snuffed it out and slid it under his belt (he wanted to make sure there was no indication of which way he had gone). He began to crawl through the darkness thankful his boots were protecting his knees, but the same could not be said for his hands. The passage narrowed again forcing him to crawl flat to the ground. He could feel the rocks slicing through the material of his gloves and trousers, but that was still better than the alternative. At the end of the tunnel was a small room just tall enough for him to stand in. In the center was a large pile of rocks where the ground had caved in. He tried to climb the pile only to have stones give way under him causing him to fall painfully on his rear. He had not come this far to let a mound of large pebbles stop him. Grabbing the larger of the stones he built a small platform and stood on it, which let him just see out of the hole; it appeared he was thankfully surrounded by wilderness. He built the platform as high as he could, ignoring the pain in his legs and hands. It wasn't tall enough for him to step out of the hole, but jumping out was worth a try; climbing out would most likely cause the ground to give way more and the last thing he needed to do was fall and break a limb. He stood on the stacked stones, gathered his courage, squatted down, and used all the force he could muster to push up with his legs. Much to his surprise he landed on solid ground, but had to grab a nearby tree to regain his balance. He moved away from the opening and sat beneath the shade of another tree. His gloves and trousers were stained with blood, dirt, and he neither did he know, nor want to know, what else. He couldn't rest long; he knew it was only a matter of time until his captors figured out how he escaped.

* * *

Elsa watched the sun set over the harbor and prayed for it to stop. The setting sun just served as a reminder that he wasn't there; that an entire day had passed without word of him. Anna's optimism did little to settle her mind and she knew she had another sleepless night ahead.

* * *

The first rays of dawn broke through the tiny holes in the thick brush he had covered himself with the night before. Hans listened carefully before climbing out of his hiding spot; if he made it out of this alive he would have to find Thorfinn Skov, give him a sizeable sum of gold, and have him create a training program.

He found a small stream, rinsed the blood off his hands the best he could and examined his wounds; thankfully they were all superficial. He had seen smoke rising from what he guessed was some sort of town the night before and since he had been held in a sea cave he assumed it was a port. His captors would most likely look for him there, so his best chance was to make himself unrecognizable. He cut the cape off his coat, sliced it into strips and used them to bandage the wounds on his thighs, ripped the stitching and removed the wave pattern from the bottom of his coat and used it to bandage the cuts on his hands. He took the charcoal remains of the small fire he had built in an abandoned fire pit in his hands; he had used the fire to consume the torch and his mangled gloves. He hated doing this, but he hated to be dirty. He ran his hands through his hair, along his sideburns, and in his eyebrows; he knew his hair was his most distinguishing feature and hoped the charcoal would be enough to alter it for the time being. He rubbed the charcoal onto the gold markings on the cuffs of his sleeves and collar to dull them as well, and began to walk in the direction he had seen the smoke rising from previous evening.

It wasn't much to look at, but it was port; most of the occupants looked as though they hadn't bathed in longer than Hans really wanted to contemplate and any worries about standing out for that were soon dissolved. He didn't recognize this place, but from the looks of it, it was probably mostly frequented by pirates and privateers. He caught his reflection in a shop window and cringed. The charcoal had turned his vibrant red hair a dark brown that bordered on black, the bit that fell from his slicked back hair and the smoke from the fire covered his skin in a thin layer of dust that hid his freckles and his fair complexion. His clothes were torn and stained, his cravat was missing, he had a large bruise around his left eye and a split lip; he felt he was in no danger of anyone thinking him a prince or an admiral.

He nodded to the waitress that brought him his drink careful not to smile. He adjusted the black leather gloves he had purchased, drummed his fingers on the glass and listened. He stopped on his way to the tavern to buy a chest, a few pairs of trousers, shirts, drawers, and vests; his purchases were minimal, mostly due to the fact he hadn't much coin on him since he hadn't expected to spend much when he left the castle. Men were recruiting sailors for the merchant ships, he knew he had to avoid anyone claiming to be bound for Arendelle or the Southern Isles as it would most likely be a trap. Corona would have been ideal given his acquaintance with Prince Eugene, but that didn't seem to be an option.

* * *

A small package sat untouched on Elsa's snow covered desk. She was thankful Kai had the sense to bring it to her instead of King Anders despite it being addressed to him. The paper was dingy and stained; the black seal bore a skull, "Have you opened it yet?" Anna asked as she entered the room. Elsa shook her head no, "Do you want me to?"

"I will do it," Elsa sat down and with trembling hands cut the twine with her letter opener.

_King Anders of the Southern Isles,_

_Your son is mostly unharmed. 100,000 gold will ensure his safe return. Inside this package you will find proof of his capture. You will be given a month to gather the funds then you will receive another letter giving instructions for the trade off._

The letter was unsigned and the hand difficult to read at times. Inside the package was a silk burgundy cravat spotted with blood and folded in that was a lock of fiery hair. Tears fell melting the snow that had settled on the letter and caused some of the ink to run, "I'll take this to King Anders," Anna said as she carefully lifted the paper and left her sister clutching the rest of the package's contents.

Anna explained what proof the package had held as she handed him the letter. "I will write to Wolfgang immediately. When the second letter arrives I will send the instructions to him as well."

* * *

Kragero was the best he could do, but at least it wasn't too far from Arendelle and he should be able to safely find passage to Arendelle from there. The ship was of decent size and the crew seemed at least mildly experienced. Hans joined the crew under the name of Bastian Stray, avoiding any name that could be associated with him. As one of the crew's newest members he was assigned many of the jobs nobody else wanted; braiding rope, operating the bilge pump, scrubbing the deck, and taking most of the middle watches (midnight to four in the morning). The odd hours helped him sneak and recolor his hair and growing mustache and beard after cleansing himself; the rules of cleanliness were not as strict as he kept on his ships, but his were considered ridiculous by some. He never complained and rarely spoke. He would spend the nights in the nest thinking of her. The nightmares and guilt had come back with a vengeance since the elder troll had adjusted his memories and they were more vivid than ever; Anna's eyes as he left her to die and Elsa's face when he stopped her from killing the Duke of Weselton's guards haunted him the most. The look his betrayal brought to Anna's face cut deeply, but the look of sadness and realization Elsa wore was worse. He knew he had only stopped her then so he could put himself in the position of the hero; he had only stopped the guard from killing her so he could do it later. He berated himself for their last encounter. Jealousy was something he had no right to; she wasn't his even if he was hers. He had assumed their closeness, but realized he had no idea who she wrote to, or who she spent her time with when he wasn't around. For all he knew she was closer to Prince Eudoro than she was to him. Then, of course, there were the subjects of his nightmares. Despite these thoughts a little voice in back of his mind would remind him of how she demanded he leave the ship, how he had chased her through the trees and the small piece of blue silk that remained tucked in the pocket over his heart.

* * *

Elsa knew she had more than just herself to think about, and reluctantly resumed her duties as queen. Contracts were signed, invoices paid, audiences granted, visits made, and the other guests were seen off. Anna and Kristoff refused to leave for their honeymoon, and instead suggested they throw a festival celebrating their wedding for everyone in Arendelle, "There's nothing we can do until they send the second letter, and we know that Hans is alive. Come on, it'll be fun!" Anna insisted. It had been over a week since she had seen Elsa smile, "We'll have chocolate and ice skating and flowers and dancing and you know how children love Olaf."

"Alright, talk to Kai; I'm sure he can have it arranged."

* * *

The ship from Kragero to Arendelle was smaller than the one that had brought him in. The crew was also smaller and the captain appreciated hard work; Hans had to repeatedly insist he wanted the middle and baboon watches. Without the vast crew of the first merchant ship constantly milling about he found it harder to keep his mouth shut; he didn't converse much with the crew, but found himself singing along with the shanties.

"Stray!" the boatswain called. Hans looked up from holystoning the deck, "come with me," Hans rose and followed the man into the captain's quarters.

"You are dismissed, Karl," Captain Van Dyke said to the boatswain, "Have a seat, Bastian," He was old enough to be Hans' father, with salt and pepper hair, a neatly trimmed beard, sharp grey eyes, a Roman nose, and square jaw, "Who are you?"

"Bastian Stray," Hans asked pretending to be confused by the question.

Van Dyke chuckled, "That is the name you've given, but I doubt it's truly yours."

"I don't follow, sir."

"I've watched you; you could run this ship as well as I do. I've seen you go behind men and fix errors when you thought no one would observe you. I also know you spend a lot of time on watch adjusting sails and correcting course on clear nights. You have a grace in your movements that are not indicative of an average sailor, and I know that you are disguising your hair colour."

"And how did you come to that conclusion, captain?" Hans forced his voice steady.

The captain stepped forward and tapped Hans' left forearm, "You don't match." Hans mentally kicked himself for forgetting something so obvious, "Also, the tattoo on your right arm is not one that could have been created in this part of the world, or on the average sailor's pay." He never thought rolling up his sleeves would get him in so much trouble, "Again, I ask, who are you? I will not have a man on board that is a risk to my crew."

"I respect your concern for your crew, sir, but I assure you I am no threat."

"Don't play games with you, boy," his steely eyes bore into Hans'.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, and telling you may put my life in danger as well as you and your crew, sir."

"You are a wanted man?"

"Not by any kingdom for any crimes, Captain, and your discretion on this matter will be greatly rewarded once we reach Arendelle," it was now Hans' turn to test Captain Van Dyke with his unwavering eyes.

"See that I am not forced to regret this agreement."

"I guarantee you, sir, you will find it lucrative."

* * *

Kai and Gerda had really outdone themselves. The courtyard was covered in flowers and ribbons, tables were set out along the sides teeming with foods to delight every taste, and the best musicians had been called in for the occasion. Elsa had frozen a section of the pavement for the sole purpose of ice skating, and Olaf was absolutely giddy at the prospect of so many children to play with. Anna looked to her sister who nodded, "Open the gates!" she yelled excitedly.

* * *

He couldn't help but smile when he saw the Absalon was still in the harbor. As the gangplank was lowered he stopped on his way to disembark, "I will meet you at The Surly Mermaid tomorrow evening. I would say this evening, but I doubt I will be able to get away." Captain Van Dyke nodded in agreement as Hans left the ship. He walked towards the open castle gates looking forward to seeing Elsa, his parents, a warm bath, and a shave.

* * *

Kai turned at the sound of trouble and saw a group of guards arguing with a group of sailors. The scuffle didn't last long and the men were quickly taken into custody. Kai approached one of the remaining guards, "What was that all about?"

"Just a bunch trouble makers, sir. One of them told me to give you this," he handed Kai a piece of cloth.

Kai examined the handkerchief, it was pale blue and a little dirty, but what caught his attention was the embroidered crocus, "Where did they take him?" he asked with a hint of panic in his voice.

"To the dungeon, sir," the guard had never seen the rotund steward move as fast as he did when he finished that sentence.

* * *

Hans sat with his head against the cold stone wall, a wry smile on his face. He had escaped the chains of pirates only to be chained feet from his freedom. He hoped the guard would give the handkerchief to Kai otherwise he had no idea what he was going to do after they released him and the group of inebriated sailors when the festivities were over.

"Open this door immediately!" Hans heard Kai yell from the hall. The door swung open allowing him to enter followed by two armed guards, "Who is the man that gave this to the guards?" he held up the handkerchief.

"That would be me, Kai," Hans said as he stood and smiled.

His hair was black, he had a short beard and mustache that were black too, and the white shirt, tan vest, and brown trousers he wore were too big for him, but the goofy grin and big green eyes were all he needed, "Well, I'll be. Prince Hans, it is you! Undo his manacles this instant!" he barked at the guards.

Hans rubbed his now free wrists, "Thank you, but before you tell anyone else I'm here, can you please arrange for a bath and a shave. I don't wish anyone else to see me in this condition."

"Yes, yes, of course," Kai looked Hans up and down, "Why are you in such a state?"

"It's a long story. Please, a bath first."

* * *

It had taken three tubs full of water before he felt he was sufficiently cleansed. He sat in the fourth enjoying the warmth on his skin and blowing bubbles with the soap. He could hear whispers outside the door and knew his secret arrival wouldn't be a secret for very long. He reluctantly removed himself from the tub as the water became too cool for comfort and began to dress. He had never been happy to look in the mirror and see his flame colored hair; he was then, even though it still refused to cooperate, but the beard and mustache had to go. He tied his cravat, pulled on his gloves, and went to put his pocket square in, only to frown remembering he was no longer in possession of the precious silk.

The walk to the castle doors seemed both too short and too long; he spent the walk rubbing his newly shaven skin. He wanted to ease his parents' anxiety, but was concerned about the reception he would receive from Elsa. He quietly stepped out and noticed his parents were seated near the doors and Queen Elsa was ice skating with Princess Anna. He came to stand between his parents, "The people of Arendelle do enjoy their festivals."

Queen Adelaide and King Anders jumped out of their chairs and eagerly embraced their son, "My baby!" his mother cried as she grabbed his face and placed kisses on both of his cheeks; King Anders said nothing, but embraced him tightly.

The commotion had caused everything in the courtyard to come to a grinding halt. Hans noticed the silence and turned. Elsa walked slowly through the crowd until she could fully see him. He met her stare and she stopped; her eyes grew wider than he had ever seen them and her bottom lip began to quiver, "Your majesty," he said with a deep bow. She picked up her skirts, ran forward (ice blossoms springing forth from every place her feet touched), threw her arms around his neck and wept into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms tightly around her; the wind picked up creating a small vortex around them in which beautiful ice flowers formed and burst like fireworks.

* * *

"Do you have any idea who could be behind this?" King Anders asked. Prince Hans, Queen Adelaide, Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, Prince Kristoff, Kai, Gerda, Prince Reinvald, who had returned just a day prior, and he sat in the drawing room.

"No, but I do know the incident with the little blockade was no coincidence. I do not know why I'm being targeted or by whom," Hans yawned, "I'm terribly sorry, I haven't had any decent sleep in nearly a fortnight."

"That's alright, boy," King Anders chuckled, "none of us have. I think we could all use with a good rest."

Everyone else left leaving Hans alone with Elsa, "Your majesty, I'm sorry."

Elsa laughed, "Will you ever give me the chance to apologize first?" Hans gave her a quizzical look. "I need to apologize for how I acted right before you left. I would much rather have you in the castle for the remainder of your stay."

He wanted an explanation for what had happened then, but was too afraid of what the answer might be to ask, "My behavior was deplorable. I had no place criticizing your actions with Prince Eudoro; he is a fair man and will make a fine husband."

Elsa looked very confused, "What? I have no intention of letting myself be courted by Prince Eudoro, much less of marrying him."

He tried to fight his smile, "Oh, then, I also apologize for my assumptions, your majesty."

A smirk crept along Elsa's lips, "If you think Prince Eudoro would make a fine husband, why did you seem so upset at the idea?"

"I…uhh…," he slowly backed towards the door, "I just didn't want you to make any decisions too quickly," he fumbled behind himself for the door knob as she slowly walked towards him refusing to drop his gaze, "Oh my, look at the time," he said hunting for a pocket watch that didn't exist, "I really should be getting to bed, it's been quite an ordeal," he finally got the door open and practically fell into the hallway.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Yeah! Reviews! I wish I could draw. ****I have in the unpublished version over 43,000 words, and I'm not yet done. This story has ran away with me!**

**Primroses - in the language of flowers the primrose means "I can't live without you."**

**The song in the pub is an Irish traditional "The Old Black Rum." The version I used is by Great Big Sea.**

* * *

"Elsa, can I come in?" Anna asked from outside her sister's bedroom.

"Of course," Elsa responded.

Anna, in her nightgown, hopped onto the bed and watched her sister brush her hair at her vanity, "I haven't forgotten about that little talk we need to have," she said with a mischievous smile.

Elsa stopped mid-stroke, but recovered, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on, Elsa, you know exactly what I mean."

Elsa sighed, set down the brush and turned to face her sister, "Prince Hans and I are just friends."

"Yeah right, and Kristoff and I 'just friends.'"

"Really, Anna, there's nothing going on between us."

"Look, if it's because of the whole few hours I was engaged to him…well, to him that wasn't him so I'm not even sure if it counts. Anyway, don't worry about it; you have my full support," she smiled widely. Elsa just stared at the floor. Anna got up on her knees, grabbed Elsa's hand and pulled her to sit beside her. "There were ice flowers exploding in the air when you hugged him today, and I saw the way you were looking at him on the ship before the whole pirate thing, and you don't look at a friend that way."

"I don't know what you mean."

Anna laughed, "You looked like you were going to devour the man." Elsa's shocked face flushed instantly, "You spend every moment you can with him," she grinned widely, "Oh, and the flowers that exploded were primroses; you also left a trail of them behind you as you ran to him."

"Primroses?" Elsa let out a defeated sigh, "There is nothing going on between us, but that doesn't mean I don't wish it was different."

"I knew it!" Anna said jumping up and down on the bed. "It started with the letters, didn't it?" Elsa nodded. Anna crossed her legs mid-jump and landed next to Elsa, "So, why don't you make it different?"

"I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"That he doesn't feel the same way, that he could be only being nice to me for the sake of diplomacy, and there's the council."

"I'm pretty sure he's not just being nice," Anna chuckled, "And what about the council?"

"At least one of the advisers still doesn't trust him."

"Do you?"

Elsa smiled, "Yes."

Anna positioned herself on her stomach with her chin in her hands, "Why do you trust him?"

"There are things he's told me, in the letters and in person, which no man his age would lie about."

"Like what? Tell me about him."

"He lets his niece dress him as a princess while she pretends to be the prince that comes to his rescue," Elsa couldn't help but laugh remembering him in the ridiculous garden hat.

"That's adorable!"

"He's told me about the troubles he's had adjusting to feeling emotions that were cut off for sixteen years. He hates his freckles and his hair. He's clever, kind, understanding, and brings out aspects of me I didn't know were there," Elsa thought for a moment, "Did you ever kiss?"

"No, Hans and I never kissed," Anna watched as Elsa tried to fight a smile, "Have you two kissed?"

"What, no!"

"Had to ask. Kristoff was a bit awkward at first, but practice makes perfect," Anna grinned, "I'm sure Hans has had enough practice by now to not go through that phase," Elsa bit her lip and looked away. Anna's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, "No way! He's never been…? He's still a…?" Elsa put her hand over her sister's mouth.

"Don't you dare breathe a word to anyone," Elsa said through clenched teeth. Anna nodded and Elsa removed her hand.

"Wow, I wouldn't have guessed that," she laughed, "I mean he's a prince, a sailor, and, what, six and twenty? I bet girls throw themselves at him when he's in port. Not to mention all the women on staff at the castle…"

"Anna!"

"Sorry, it's just a surprise. I, mean, know you are…aren't you?"

"Yes!"

Anna laughed again, "You are so red right now!"

"This isn't the most comfortable conversation."

"I know, but who else are you going to talk to about this?" Elsa glared at her.

* * *

"No!" was the only word that came out of his mouth when a knock came at the bedroom door. He buried his face in the pillow and pretended he didn't hear them knock again.

"Prince Hans, breakfast is nearly over," said the voice from beyond the door.

"I'll sleep until lunch!" Never before had he been so reluctant to leave the comfort of a bed, but after days of sleeping either on the ground or in a hammock it was heaven. There was only one thing that would have made it perfect, but he quickly chased the thoughts of sharing a bed with Arendelle's queen from his mind. He grumbled and rolled over onto his back, whether he liked it or not he was awake and if he was awake he might as well get up.

"I'm up, I'm up, I'll be ready in a few minutes!" Hans said impatiently to the third knock as he pulled on his boots. Elsa smiled from the other side of the door. She had woken up only a few minutes before, readied herself as quickly as possible, and came to make sure it hadn't been just a cruel dream.

* * *

"Hans, your father and I have been talking, and we would like you to remain in Arendelle for a while longer," Hans raised an inquisitive eyebrow as he pulled the fork out of his mouth.

"It seems it would be safer if you travelled separately until we can discover who is hunting you," King Anders said obviously pained at the idea of his youngest son being sought out as prey.

Hans swallowed, "How long would you wish me to stay? Winter is fast approaching and these waters will soon become impassable."

His father closed his eyes and sighed, "We know. We have spoken to Queen Elsa and she is willing to extend her hospitality to you for as long as it needed."

"Is this a legitimate fear, or just another attempt to keep me on land?"

"Hans!" Queen Adelaide yelled on the verge of tears, "We love you and there are people out there who want you dead!"

He felt guilty as soon as the snide comment left his lips, "I'm sorry, mother," he rose and embraced her.

* * *

Hans stood in front of the tavern door with Siegfried and straightened his dress uniform coat; the medals pinned to it clinked as he ran his gloved hands over them (the hat he left back in the castle). He took a deep breath and flung open doors. All eyes turned to him and the crowd erupted in cheers. Hans smiled as he made his way through the crowd, shaking various hands and carefully avoiding the advances of some of the more forward waitresses. He found Captain Van Dyke and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Heinrich!" he shouted at the barman, "All the drinks for this man and his crew are on me!"

"And who might you be?" he asked turning to find the highly decorated naval officer.

Hans bowed, "Admiral Prince Hans Westergard, at your service. Though you would know me better as Bastian Stray," Van Dyke sat in stunned silence, "May I?" Hans asked as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

Van Dyke took a long drink, "You were right, I wouldn't have believed you."

Hans laughed and took a mug from a passing waitress, "I'm not surprised in the least," he pulled a sealed envelope from his jacket and handed it to him, "when next you're in Baltia have this given to either Prince Klaus or Crown Prince Wolfgang, they will see that you are well compensated for your services."

"You are almost legendary. What were you doing aboard my ship?"

"I had escaped capture by pirates and wanted to make it back alive. It seemed I was most likely to succeed if I did so under an assumed identity. I had not counted on so observant a captain; you have my utmost respect."

"I had expected you to be older; you don't look to be even thirty."

"Six and twenty."

"You're a young prince, why are you out hunting pirates? Shouldn't you be chasing skirts?" Van Dyke laughed.

"One would think, but I wanted to actually make myself of some use. As thirteenth in line I have no delusion of every holding a throne, I was not prepared for a cabinet position, so I decided to actually make use of the naval training I was given."

"I've met princes with naval ranks before and most didn't know the bow from the stern."

"I was like that, just a figurehead used to ferry visiting dignitaries around. It was only close to three years ago now that I realized Admiral Westergard had opportunities Prince Hans didn't."

"You must have a sharp mind to learn so much so quickly."

Hans laughed, "I think it had more to do with stubbornness and a need to prove myself," Hans took a drink and heard the musicians start up and smiled, "They know me too well here already," He was quickly lifted from his chair by several patrons and placed on a table, the crowd clapped in time and waited for Hans to begin.

_I drank sixteen doubles for the price of one,_

_Trying to find the courage to talk to the one;_

_I asked her for a dance, not a second glance,_

_My night had just begun…_

* * *

He stood next to Elsa on the dock and watched as the Absalon headed homeward with all that had visited from the Southern Isles with exception of himself and a pair of guards his parents and brother had insisted remain behind to assist in protecting him. As the ship disappeared over the horizon he let out a puff of air that blew the front of his hair upward for a moment, "I'm sorry my parents saw it fit to impose upon your hospitality like this."

"I can think of no one else I would rather have imposed upon me," Elsa said with a smile.

"You are too kind, your majesty. I would imagine you would enjoy having your castle back in its proper order when all your guests have left."

"I doubt you'll give me much trouble, and I'm glad to know you'll be safe here instead of waiting for a letter telling me your fate."

"They asked you to protect me, didn't they?"

"No, I wasn't asked. I gladly volunteered," Her eyes shone brightly as she smiled at him.

He smiled and could feel the heat rising in his cheeks, "Again, I am deeply in your debt."

* * *

Elsa secretly watched from a window as Hans and Siegfried used sparring swords in an open space near the castle. Siegfried matched Hans in height and breadth, but was about ten years his senior, had black hair streaked with grey, hard dark eyes, thin lips, and a chiseled jaw. Siegfried could keep up with Hans, but it was obvious Hans was the better swordsman.

"Wait," Hans said trying to catch his breath. He stood removed his tailcoat, cravat and waist coat and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, "that's better." Siegfried gave a deep chuckle and followed suit. She watched as Hans moved, sweat causing his white shirt to stick to his skin and drip from his now soaked deep red hair. She had never seen him in such a state of undress, and despite its impropriety she enjoyed it.

"Waiting for more to come off?" Anna asked with a mischievous grin.

Elsa startled, "Will you please stop sneaking up on me?"

"I'm not sneaking, you're just distracted," Anna stood next to her, "He definitely keeps fit. What's that on his arm?"

"A tattoo, it goes all the way to his shoulder."

"So you have seen him wearing less."

"No! He told me about it," Elsa gave a frustrated sigh and walked away from the window, "Honestly, Anna, I think you enjoy this."

Anna laughed, "It is kinda fun."

* * *

"You are quite skilled with a sword, young prince," Siegfried said as he sat down and wiped the sweat from his brow.

Hans fell back on the grass, "You're quite talented yourself. It's comforting to know Queen Elsa has such a skilled man as captain of her guard."

"It will be good to have a warrior king," Hans propped himself on his elbows and gave him a shocked and confused look, "She has let no other man court her as she has you, and she makes little attempt to hide her fondness for you." he stood and gathered his things, "I must be going; my wife will be upset if I delay any longer."

Hans flopped back on the grass and stared up at the browning leaves of the tree he was beneath. Courting her? He didn't want to make her uncomfortable, or think he would have the audacity to think she could love him after what he had done. He brought his right hand up to wipe the sweat from his forehead with his glove and smiled as he caught sight of the three inch crocus he had imbedded in the tattoo on the underside of his forearm. The three lions on his bicep were no mystery, but he never explained to anyone why he had the royal symbol of Arendelle on his body. He laughed realizing he had marked himself as hers long before.

* * *

"Uhh, are you alright?" Hans opened his eyes to find the confused face of Anna's husband looking down at him.

"Yes, I'm fine," Hans sat up, "just finished sparring with Siegfried." Hans noticed Kristoff looking at his right arm.

"So all of you guys really do have tattoos."

"Not all sailors, but the vast majority. I am in the minority regarding the size and intricacy of mine, but I have my stubborn pride to blame for that."

Kristoff sat down next to him, "Is that a crocus?" he asked pointing to Hans' right forearm.

"Yes, it is a crocus," Hans colored slightly and looked at the fallen leaves.

"And why do you have a crocus tattooed on your arm?" Kristoff asked with some suspicion.

"As a reminder of a debt I can never pay."

Kristoff took in a deep breath. He felt compelled to talk to him for Elsa's sake. He was pretty sure they weren't aware of the fact they were both head over heels for each other. He didn't plan on telling either of them, but he was pretty certain one of them would figure it out sooner or later, and if he could help by easing Hans' obvious guilt he felt he had to do it. "I hated you," he said looking straight ahead.

"I don't believe you realize you used past tense," Hans said flicking the leaves next to him.

"No, I meant it that way. The trolls that raised me didn't make the mirror, but some of their ancestors did. It's one of the few things trolls are ashamed of. It was never just a legend for me, but I never thought I would meet anyone who had it in them."

"After what I did to Anna and Elsa I really can't understand how you don't hate me now, mirror or not."

"I know what that mirror can do," Kristoff really didn't want to keep talking, but it was better than uncomfortable silence. He chuckled a little, "And I kinda have you to thank for meeting Anna, and that I wouldn't change that for anything," Kristoff stood and dusted the leaves from his clothes, "I gotta go feed Sven, and you might want to go take a bath. I mean, I spend a lot of time around reindeer so I've smelled way worse, but you're soaked."

Hans laughed, "I plan to."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Yeah reviews! Wow, over 100 followers. I'm flattered! I feel as though I should purchase pom-poms! :) A reviewer mentioned, what they adorably referred to as "the kissing famine." It will happen, I promise, please hang in there. I wrote the first kiss over the weekend; it happens in Chapter 14 (I'm currently hammering out Chapter 16 and I'm a little stuck, which is why I write far ahead of what I post to compensate for writer's block). I apologize if the story is running a little slow, but I want to make it believable (as believable as a story with ice magic can be) and the I don't want the romance to seem forced. **

******Went back and edited the previous chapters for typos and a few minor continuity errors.**

**Thorn Apple: ****Datura stramonium, a**lso known as Jimson Weed or Devil's Snare is a member of the Nightshade family.

**Swimming drawers of the time were akin to modern boxer-briefs.**

**The book Hans is reading is _The Mysteries of Udolpho_ by Ann Radcliffe (1794). The punctuation and spelling were lifted directly from the page. Why that book? because that's the book in my desk drawer.**

* * *

Soon after Hans received word that his family had safely returned to Baltia, Anna and Kristoff left on their honeymoon. Anna and Rapunzel had gotten along so well during her stay the couple had decided to spend the winter in Corona; Hans dreaded the stories Eugene would tell Anna and Kristoff.

Hans sat in a high-backed chair studying the papers in front of him as Elsa sat at the desk in her study going over reports regarding the kingdom's food stores for the coming winter, "Why is Corinithia charging such a high tariff?"

"Because they can, I believe."

"They're making more money off of the taxes than the merchants are off of the goods. Do you charge tariffs on their goods like this?"

"I can't. Many of their goods we are unable to produce here."

"I understand that, but this, this is ridiculous."

"What would you suggest I do?" Elsa asked slightly annoyed at the continued interruptions.

"Renegotiate. Many of the things you get from them, I assure you, you could get from the Southern Isles without having to suffer this," he slapped the papers with the back of a gloved hand for emphasis, "and those that could not be provided directly, you could get indirectly. I know they do not charge these tariffs to Baltia."

Elsa returned her eyes to the reports on her desk, "The Southern Isles does seem to be a source of desirable things," she said louder than she realized.

Hans flushed, crossed his legs, and looked away from her pretending to not hear the seemingly flirtatious comment, "Even if you just threaten," his voice cracked mid-sentence causing Elsa to laugh, "to alter your trade patterns there is a good chance they will lower the tariff anyway."

* * *

The council seemed torn on whether Prince Hans' presence was welcome at the table or despised. Elsa found his insights and suggestions invaluable and loved the contemplative look he had as he was listening to every word every member said. He always requested her permission to speak and the words that flowed forth showed the true brilliance of the man who sat at her side.

"I apologize if I overstepped my boundaries, your majesty," Hans said as they left the meeting.

"You did nothing of the sort. I welcome your opinions on foreign and domestic affairs. I appreciate the help of my advisers, but there are times I don't believe they have faith in my decisions."

"Such as? If I may inquire."

"Your presence in Arendelle."

Hans looked away from her and hung his head, "I can understand their reservations on that matter."

"I don't. How quickly they forget everything you've done for the kingdom and for me. Without you the kingdom would have starved, who knows how many pirate raids you prevented, and I no longer live in fear. I realize they will never be able to understand what that was like, but famine and economic hardship they can."

"Surely I can't be the only thing that makes you feel that way."

"No," she sighed, "they know I have been isolated and my parents didn't have the chance to prepare me like you have been; I feel they find it easier to dismiss me for my lack of knowledge of the economic and political standings of other kingdoms."

"Mere ignorance can be corrected. A monarch can have an encyclopedic knowledge of facts regarding other kingdoms, but it won't do them any good if they don't know what to do with those facts when they are needed. You have an amazing mind they are fools to not recognize."

"Queen Elsa," she turned and Kai handed her an envelope, "it's from Princess Anna, your majesty."

Elsa smiled, "Thank you, Kai," she turned to Hans, "I am going to go read this in my room," she walked past him purposefully letting her hand lightly brush his.

* * *

_Dear Elsa,_

_I don't know how many letters I will get to write to you before the ice and wind up there get too bad for ships to get through, so I'll try to cram everything into this one._

_I have so many presents for you I think we may need two boats on the way back. I'm just so happy I think I'm going to explode sometimes._

_Corona is wonderful! They threw a big festival in our honor. There were flowers, and dancing, and floating lanterns! The guards here carry frying pans! Kristoff gets along best with this horse named Maximus, big surprise he gets along better with animals. Olaf is a big hit with everyone; I guess I forgot how unusual a talking snowman is. Rapunzel and I are so much alike it's crazy, but in a good way. You should hear the stories Eugene has about Hans and him; most involve pranks and singing. _

_Hans is a hero around here, well Admiral Westergard is, for protecting their harbor from pirates a bunch of times. Corona is one of his favorite ports to hide in when he gets hurt and doesn't want to go home until he heals. I think Rapunzel and Eugene are the only ones that know about what happened at your coronation, and they only found out Hans' part in the mess when Hans told Eugene about it at the wedding._

_I hate that I can't think of anything more to write when I won't get to hear from you in months!_

_If I think of more things to write I'll just write the letters and send them as soon as the ships can get through._

_Love,_

_Anna_

* * *

The first natural snow fall of Arendelle's autumn blanketed the land in glistening white. Elsa stood in the garden admiring the untouched beauty. She waved her hand and created a sculpture of Anna out of the snow. Smiling, she danced in the garden creating likenesses of Kristoff, Sven, Kai, Gerda, Siegfried, and finally Hans. She blushed slightly when she realized the one she created of Hans was dressed as he was when sparring with Siegfried and wore a scandalous expression; she quickly changed his outfit to his admiral's uniform and his expression to a confident grin. She decided she could use a wardrobe change as well and proceeded to transform her gown into her shimmering frost dress.

"These are amazing," Hans said as he walked in awe among her creations.

"Thank you," she stepped from behind the snow Sven. As soon as Hans saw her in the gown memories came flooding back too quickly for him to process. He fell to his knees supporting himself with his hands. Elsa rushed to his side, "Are you alright?"

"Yes…no… the troll elder altered my memories so I no longer see them as I did through the mirror, but as they actually were. Seeing you in that dress just triggered some strong flashbacks," he breathed heavily, "You do look stunning in it though, your majesty."

She quickly changed her gown back to the pale green silk she had been wearing, "Does that help?" she asked with deep concern.

"I'll…I'll be alright," he said as he stood, "I just think I need to lie down." Elsa knew he meant to go alone, but she followed him anyway deciding she would rather ask for forgiveness than permission.

He threw off his overcoat, untied his cravat and lie on his back with his eyes closed. Elsa brought the chair from the desk and sat it next to the bed, "Can I get you anything? A glass of water? Do I… do I need to leave?"

"I don't deserve your concern, your majesty."

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"A flash flood of reality."

"You have to forgive yourself," she brushed the hair from his brow, "I understand how hard that can be, and you don't have to go through this alone."

"How does everyone find it so easy to forgive me?"

"Everyone knows it wasn't you. It may have been the same body, but it wasn't your mind or heart," she slipped her hand into his and gently squeezed it, "I'm getting very tired of repeating this conversation," he opened his eyes and looked at her with confusion. She smiled, "How many times do I have to tell you that you're the heroic prince that came to my rescue?"

He smiled back at her and rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand, "I know I'll never tire of hearing it."

"I'll leave you to rest," she stood and reluctantly let go of his hand, "Gerda has a few things she wishes to go over in preparation for the Solstice Celebration."

* * *

Elsa's trade advisers were asking him as many questions as they were asking her regarding the final preparations for the impending winter isolation; when she was unavailable many began defaulting to him. He rearranged some of the traditional trade arrangements to better benefit Arendelle economically and make better use of the kingdom's assets; he used his influence as a prince of the most powerful kingdom in the region and as a celebrated naval commander to his advantage when assisting in foreign trade. Elsa and her council were still using the plans her parents had, and a lot had changed for Arendelle in the few years since their passing.

"Ha!" Hans yelled excitedly as he finished reading the letter, "The Southern Isles have agreed to help us circumnavigate, I mean circumvent, the Corinthian tariffs until they agree to lower them," he smiled happily to Elsa and the council in front of him, "also if there is anything we are lacking for the winter they will gladly send what they can."

"That's very kind of them, but I wouldn't want to take advantage of such an offer."

"They would not offer if they could not spare it. With your permission, your majesty, I would like to consult Kai regarding what may be lacking."

The smile he gave her made it all but impossible to say no and she could almost believe he knew it, "Alright, but necessities, not luxuries."

"As you wish, your majesty" he bowed and left to find the castle steward.

Elsa rose and concluded the meeting. She stepped out of the room but lingered outside in the hall momentarily trying to remember if there was anything she may need over the winter that she was running low on.

"Do you think he's bedded her yet?" One councilman asked.

"An unwed, brilliant, young, charming, handsome prince, with the physique of Adonis at her beck and call," a female member of her council laughed, "you should be asking if she's bedded him."

"She's our queen!" another member was astonished at the idea.

"Yes, but she is a young woman too."

Elsa rushed down the hall as she heard the steps of the council members approach the door.

She shut the door to her room and leaned against it for support. She had no idea anyone had made such assumptions about them, about her! Really, the thought that she would have taken him to bed already, they had yet to even kiss! "Wait…yet?" she said out loud. She smiled as she thought of all the times she had to will herself not to slide her hands into his thick, fiery hair and press her lips to his; "yet" suddenly seemed appropriate.

* * *

Elsa tried not to laugh at the look of disgust he tried his best to hide as he removed the spoon from his mouth and forced himself to swallow. Hans put the spoon down and emptied his glass of water down his throat. Elsa looked at him with a raised eyebrow and he gave a sheepish grin.

"Usually I have no complaints about Magny's food, but that soufflé was awful," he said as they left the dining room.

Elsa laughed, "I saw your face when you tasted it. You've had it before; I don't know why today was any different."

"I don't either," Hans blinked and shook his head; sweat started to bead on his hairline, "Why is there a ship in the…" he collapsed before he could finish.

Elsa screamed. Gerda came running and knelt next to Hans, "he's burning up. Fetch Dr. Lovig!" she yelled at the nearest staff member, "Take him to his room and strip him down to his drawers," she ordered Kai and Siegfried. The two men heaved the prince up their shoulders and drug him to his bed. Gerda stopped Elsa at the door, "Your majesty, it would be rather improper for you to see a man in such a state."

"I would normally agree with you, but if his fever needs brought down, whom better than I to help?" Gerda could find no legitimate argument, entered the room in front of the queen and threw the covers over his middle. Elsa rushed to him and placed her hand on his forehead. He gasped and his back arched at the shock of her cooling touch.

"What happened?" the physician asked as he ran through the door.

"He just collapsed."

"Did he say anything or do anything unusual?" he asked as he examined Hans' eyes, ears and mouth.

"He was asking about a ship before he fell."

"Has he been on one recently?"

"Not in over a month."

"Am I dead?" Hans asked.

"No, you're not dead," Elsa assured him.

"Are you dead?"

"No."

"One of us must be dead, otherwise why would there be a valkyrie with me?" he raised his hand and touched Elsa's hair looking very confused.

"Nobody's dead," Dr Lovig said to his patient, "Anything else odd? Keep your hand on his head; we have to get the fever down before it damages his mind."

Elsa racked her brain trying to think of anything out of the ordinary, "He said the soufflé tasted bad," she offered, desperate for anything that could be an answer.

"Did anyone else eat it?" "

"Yes, Kai, Gerda, Siegfried, and I did. I don't know about anyone else."

"Did it taste odd to any of you?"

"No, it tasted like it normally does."

"And no one else has been affected. If it has not been cleaned, I need his plate," he said to Gerda and placed his fingers against Hans' throat, "His pulse is high," he said to himself, "pupils dilated, delirium…

"Mermaid two points abaft the starboard beam," Hans said before losing consciousness again.

"… hallucinations…" Gerda rushed back with the plate and Dr. Lovig smelled the soufflé, "close the door and make sure no one is outside," he looked to Siegfried who quickly complied. "He has been poisoned."

"Are you certain?" Siegfried asked.

"Yes, thorn apple. The amount in the entire soufflé may have been fatal, but thorn apple has a distinctly unpleasant taste and smell," he stood up, "He should recover in a day or two and if the fever can be kept down he should come out unscathed," he looked at Hans' state of undress, "Maybe just a little embarrassed."

"The scullery, kitchens, and dining rooms will not be without my men, your majesty," Elsa nodded to Siegfried who bowed and exited. Gerda nodded to Kai who took his cue to leave as well.

Gerda placed her arm around her queen. Elsa gently caressed his face as a tear rolled down her cheek, "You were supposed to be safe here."

* * *

He squeezed his toy lion as the lightning flashed outside and thunder rocked the windows; he never liked storms. The door to his room creaked open and a figure slipped inside, "Klaus?"

"No, little Hans, Klaus won't be here to save you this time," he didn't recognize the voice, it didn't sound human; the pitch kept changing and it sounded as though it came from everywhere at once. Lightning flashed and illuminated the figure as it approached him; rolling black smoke held what could be seen as human form with soulless red eyes and a flaming grin that split its face. The being used its body to pin him down, pried the lids of his right eye open, and forced something into it, the searing pain inciting an agonizing cry. Before the pain in his eye could lessen he felt an even worse pain in his chest, as if something was clawing its way into his heart. The screams of the eight year old prince were drowned by the noise of the storm that raged outside.

* * *

His fever had broken, but Elsa refused to leave in case it returned. He lay on his side partially curled; she pulled the comforter up to cover his shoulder and caught sight of the scar that formed from the wound he had had when she essentially truly met him. Her finger lightly traced it; it was wider than her fingertip and slightly indented. There were smaller scars on his forearm, a large one across his back and a thin one across his neck that was normally hidden beneath his high collar; she knew there was at least one on his right side, but he was currently laying on it. She examined what she could see of his tattoo and noticed the crocus that took up a significant part of the underside of his forearm. She decided she was going to have to ask him about it when she was able, but then realized she would have to explain why she was looking over his partially nude form while he was unconscious. His firm, tone body was a sight to behold, but now was not the time for that. She pulled the comforter up this neck and lay down on the bed next to him.

* * *

He sat up and guzzled the glass of water that sat on the nightstand. He didn't remember getting to bed; actually the previous evening was a blur. Realizing he was wearing only his drawers, he insisted all of his drawers be made like swimming drawers so they didn't bunch under his trousers, he was even more confused since he always slept in a shirt. A small noise caught his ear and he turned his head to find someone in the bed with him. His eyes grew large and his face blanched. He was going to die. If Kai didn't kill him Siegfried would, or Gerda or Anna and the worst part was he didn't remember anything! Elsa laid next to him under the blanket her braid down and messy, only the top of her bare shoulders, face and neck visible. He jumped out of the bed taking the comforter with him, leaving the sheet to cover her, and wrapped it around himself. The noise and motion woke Elsa and she rolled over, looked at his panicked face and smiled, "What happen…what did I… what did we…," Hans stuttered as he backed into the wall.

Elsa laughed and sat up, the sheet falling to reveal the top of a grey silk gown, "It's nothing like that. You fell ill the night before last; I was here to help keep your fever down."

He let out a relieved sigh, "Oh, thank Triton. I thought Kai was going to kill me; not that it wouldn't have been worth it…," his entire body flushed when he realized the last comment had not been in his head, "I should stop talking," he moved so the blanket now also covered his bright red face.

"I… I'll go get Dr. Lovig."

* * *

"He's made a fine recovery," the physician said to Elsa and Siegfried as he left the bathroom to allow Hans to bathe.

"Will there be any lasting affects?"

"Other than an aversion to the soufflé and the embarrassment of being seen in his drawers by more people than he ever wanted, no, but thorn apple stopped blooming here before the first frost," Dr. Lovig sighed, "it was either brought in with the would be murderer, or it was delivered."

"Why would anyone try to assassinate the youngest prince? That doesn't seem to make any sense."

"I don't know, all I can tell you is that someone did try and they're not very experienced with poisons," he said to Siegfried as he went to return to his quarters.

"Given this failure I doubt they will try poison again, but we will continue to keep watch on any food in the castle as a precaution, and unless necessary he should not be without protection. He is a very skilled fighter, but it is better not to take risks, your majesty. I would like to post guards outside of any room he occupies."

"See to it."

* * *

"I don't need a nursemaid," Hans pouted on the couch in the library.

"You were poisoned! There is someone here trying to kill you and they very nearly succeeded!" frost began to creep along the floor and up the walls.

"You don't even know if the assailant is still here, or if it was even meant for me," he sunk lower into his seat, "All that happened was I was seen in a mortifying state of undress by far too many people and said a few strange things," he was hoping she would let him lump the comment he hadn't meant to say out loud into the group.

"I promised your parents I would protect you, that you would be safe here," she said in a quiet way that made his heart ache.

He gave a dramatic sigh, "Alright, fine, you win. As long as they're posted outside the room I will accept the arrangement," he picked up the book he had been reading and huffed as he found the page had left off on and put his other arm across the back of the couch.

"Read it aloud," Elsa requested.

"Why? I'm over one hundred pages in, how would it make any sense?"

"I've read it before."

"Then why would…"

"Please?"

Hans sighed and lifted to book, "'The family of Valancourt, if not his circumstances had been known to her father, and known to be unexceptionable.'" Elsa came and sat next to him, close enough that if he was to drop his arm from the back of the couch it would have draped across her shoulders, claiming she couldn't hear him very well from across the room, "'Of his circumstances, Valancourt himself hinted as far as delicacy would permit, when he said he had at present little else to offer but an heart, that adored her.'"


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N****: Reviews are more addictive than caffeine! I have gone back through the previous chapters and made more corrections. ****Someday I will find and correct all the typos, missed words, and malapropisms in this work!**

**The book, again, is _The Mysteries of Udolpho_ by Ann Radcliffe for the same reason as previously (it currently resides in my desk drawer).**

**By "collar length necklace" I mean one that is about 12" to 14" in length and is worn higher on the neck than a choker.**

**The medal was inspired by ****Dannebrogordenens Hæderstegn** (Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog).

**Sydlig Sol - Southern Sun in Danish (I think)**

**_Aristotle's Compleat Master-Piece _- Yes, that is spelled correctly. No, it's not actually by Aristotle. It's a manual on sex and pregnancy from 1684 that was popular through the 19th century.**

**The Solstice Celebration is a partially inspired by old Norse traditions. I will explain the meaning of lighting the fire later.**

* * *

"'I now remind you, for the last time, that you are a stranger, in a foreign country,'" Hans said in his best Italian accent which was absolutely terrible, "'and that it is your interest to make me your friend; you know the means; if you compel me to become your enemy – I will venture to tell you, that the punishment shall exceed your expectation. You may know _I _am not to be trifled with.'" Elsa laughed as he tried to sound both intimidating and Italian and came off as neither.

He looked down at the beautiful woman that lay on the couch with her head in his lap, "Do I amuse you?" he asked fighting a smile.

"Even when it isn't your intention," she reached up and tapped the tip of his nose with her index finger, "Your accents are terrible."

His nose wiggled in reaction, "Do you wish me to stop then?"

"Oh, no, please continue," she giggled, "accents included." She hadn't planned on ending up in this intimate a position, but in no way regretted it. He had begun reading earlier with her seated next to him, but when she yawned she quickly explained that she was slightly weary, as to not leave him room to assume she found him boring. He had offered to move to a chair and allow her to lie on the couch, but she insisted she needed a pillow and since none were available he would have to do.

He kept reading, but she was no longer really paying attention. His scent was nearly intoxicating and it was laughable how much she wanted to roll over, wrap herself around him and bury her face in his waistcoat; she considered pretending to be asleep to give her an excuse to give in to the urge. The events of her coronation seemed so distant as she lie there enjoying the warmth of his body and the sound of his voice. Two and a half years ago she would never have imagined she would be laying with her head in his lap while he read to her, and that she would feel that if she had the choice she would do it all again just to end up exactly where she was.

"Surprise!" Anna yelled as she flung open the library door. Elsa quickly sat up knocking the book out of Hans' hand.

"I wasn't expecting you back until spring!" Elsa said as she rushed to embrace her sister.

"I know, but I couldn't stand the idea of not being here for the Solstice Celebration," Anna hopped away from Elsa, "I have so many presents!" Hans smiled as Anna took Elsa's hand and drug her from the room. He picked the book back up and hunted for the page he had been on. "Are you coming?" Anna asked poking her head back in. Hans looked confused. "You didn't think I was just going to leave you out, did you?" She ran in, grabbed his wrist and pulled him from the couch.

Hans sat next to Elsa who was almost buried in the dresses Anna had brought her, "Oh and Eugene picked this one out, which was a little weird, but it's pretty!" The dress she held out was a deep red, with a low off the shoulder neckline, laced up the back, hang straight at the waist, and looked as though the skirt would just touch the floor. Of course it was red; Eugene knew Hans loved the contrast of Elsa's fair skin against the intense colour, "The king and queen of Corona wanted to give you this," Anna handed Hans a gold medal bearing the Sun Seal, "it's their kingdom's highest honor. They wanted to give it to you in a ceremony, but said you would try to find a way to get out of going," Anna handed him several pairs of beautifully crafted white leather gloves that flared slightly as they went midway up his forearms, "I didn't know what to get you from Corona since you spend a lot of time there, so I got you these. They're the kind the royal guards wear; you had left a pair of gloves last time you were there and I had them used as a pattern."

Hans was humbled by the gesture, "You didn't need to get me anything, your highness, but they're wonderful, thank you."

"Oh, and Eugene told me to give you this. He made me promise I wouldn't open it," she handed him a wrapped package. He took it from her and eyed it suspiciously before carefully opening it. Inside the paper he found a black tailcoat with gold epaulets and a red collar and cuffs that were accented with gold, "Whoa, that's beautiful! Can I see it?" he handed the coat to Anna who showed it to Kristoff.

When he lifted the coat a small book fell into his lap. He picked it up, _Aristotle's Compleat Master-Piece_, and blushed terribly when he realized what it was, "I really don't know why I'm friends with him at points," he mumbled under his breath as he quickly tucked the book in his coat before anyone noticed it.

"Why did he send you a black tailcoat?" Elsa asked with a smirk.

"Prince Eugene has a strange sense of humor. Apparently he enjoys sending me clothes I'll never wear," he sighed, "When I return to Baltia I'm sure Klaus can have it resized."

* * *

Hans stood and watched as the few ships that remained were lifted from the water in preparation for Arendelle's intense winter. It was the final sign that he would not be returning to Baltia for several months. If anyone made another attempt on his life it would all but impossible to leave the kingdom now; he still didn't believe the poison had been meant for him. He neither had much influence on the affairs of the Southern Isles as the thirteenth in line for the throne, nor held a place in his father's cabinet. He was no threat to pirate activity to on land and he doubted his uncle Ansgar would give him a fleet when he returned. The only reason he could think of that anyone would target him was if they thought he was still a threat to Arendelle.

* * *

The Solstice Celebration was fast approaching and it dawned on Hans that he was completely unprepared. He had had no way of anticipating that he would be in Arendelle for this holiday and the traditional gift giving would be rather awkward, "Prince Kristoff plays the lute and Princess Anna loves chocolate," Siegfried offered as he accompanied Hans through town, "As for Queen Elsa, well, I'm certain you will be able to think of something."

"I only have a fortnight to think of something," he scanned the market until he caught sight of a jewelry shop, "perhaps I can have something crafted."

* * *

The sun rose and the smell of sweet baked goods permeated the air. Just outside the castle gates, in the village square, the citizens were assembling the lumber that was to become the night's great Solstice Celebration bonfire. The castle was buzzing with activity as the staff prepared for the evening's festivities. It was Hans' first winter solstice away from Baltia and more than ever he was reminded that he was a foreigner; the celebration was similar, but he knew he didn't belong there. He tightly closed the drapes in his room and hoped he would be forgotten for the day.

* * *

Anna was giddy as she practically danced around the castle with Kristoff in tow, "Isn't it great?"

"Wonderful," Kristoff said with a mouthful of pastry, "Wow," he stood in awe as they entered the bailey. Delicate ice crystals hung from every available surface casting shimmering rainbows on the cobble stone.

"I know! Elsa really outdid herself this time," Anna drug him out to the village square, "You have to see what she made out here!" As they stepped through the gates they were faced with a monumental ice sculpture of the sun; the ice formed flames that came off of the central sphere and looked as though they should melt the very thing they were part of.

They found Elsa still decorating the buildings surrounded by dozens of children cheering at every new addition, "You're going to wear yourself out," Kristoff commented as he watched her shoot icicles down the roofs of a row of shops.

Elsa smiled, "I may take a nap when I'm finished."

* * *

It was after lunch before Elsa made it back to her room for a much needed rest. On her bed sat a small box and a note.

_HRH Queen Elsa of Arendelle,_

_I don't suspect this shall be found until after the evening's festivities are over. I have purposefully made myself scarce during this event as not to intrude on such an intimate family holiday. As you know I was not expecting to be in your kingdom at this time, and thus I feel I must apologize for the novelty of my gifts; by this time Kristoff will have received his painted lute and Anna her box of chocolates because I lack creativity. _

_Your Eternal Servant,_

_ADM Prince Hans Westergard of the Southern Isles_

She opened the box and inside found a necklace. It was a collar length necklace of three strands of black pearls. In the center of the necklace was an even armed cross with a crown in the center, crowns connecting the arms, and topped with a "W" that wore a crown; on the reverse "ADM Prince Hans Westergard" was engraved. She recognized it was a medal of some kind, but knew he was far too sentimental to pick one at random; the nap would have to wait.

* * *

"Just leave the tea on the desk," Hans said in response to the knock at his door. He lay on the bed tossing a small ball up to catch it as it descended.

"Sorry, I didn't bring any tea," Hans sat up and winced as the ball came down on top of his head.

"Your majesty, this is a surprise."

"I know, I read your note," she sat on the bed next to him, "what is this?" she asked showing him the medal.

"That is the Cross of Honor of the Order of Sydlig Sol. I received that just before your visit," he sat next to her with his elbows on his knees.

"What did you receive it for?"

"I received the wound in my shoulder defending my injured men the night we were boarded."

Elsa looked at the small silver cross in hand and found herself at a momentary loss for words, "it's beautiful," she gently ran her fingers over his engraved name.

"I had absolutely no idea what get you," he smiled at her, "you're rather difficult to choose a gift for."

"I don't know if I can accept this," Elsa said nearly in tears.

Hans lifted the necklace from her hands and clasped it around her neck, "I don't plan on giving you an option."

Elsa took a deep breath and composed herself, "Did you honestly think I would let you stay in here tonight?"

"That had been my plan."

"Well it's not anymore. I would be honored if you would hold the ceremonies with me, Admiral" she gave a coquettish grin and batted her eyelashes.

He rolled his eyes and tried suppress a smile, "You're going to make me wear the uniform again aren't you?" She just grinned wider and triumphantly left the room.

* * *

The gown she chose was shimmering silver, she had planned on wearing a green and gold one, but she wanted to wear something that would complement Hans' gift. She placed her tiara in her hair and checked her makeup one last time. "You ready?" Anna asked from outside her door.

"I think so," Elsa said straightening her skirt.

"You look great!" Anna said as she opened the door, "Ooh, new necklace?" she examined the pearls around Elsa's slender neck.

"Hans gave it to me," she smiled, "it's the medal he was awarded before I went to Baltia." Anna smiled and rolled her eyes at her sister's continued reluctance to acknowledge his affections.

"Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf are out taking children for rides so he'll meet us in the square. We just need to find Hans."

Elsa smiled and held her head high when she saw him standing with his back to her in his white dress uniform coat and trousers, with his hands behind his back and his feathered bicorn perched atop his head, "Do you know what is to be done?" she asked as she approached him. He stood stunned for a moment when he turned to face her. Her silver gown sparkled; her tiara sat perfectly in her braided her, her fair skin contrasted amazingly with the black pearls of the necklace and the black cape that trailed behind her.

He blinked a few times before he recovered, "You will take a piece of tinder from the previous year's fire and use it to light this years."

"Yes, and I would like you to light it with me," she asked fully aware of the implications. Anna was surprised at her sister forwardness, but doubted Hans knew what she was asking.

"I would be honored, your majesty," he smiled and offered her his arm which she gladly took.

* * *

Twilight was beginning to settle when they gathered in the bailey. Hans stood next to Elsa, Kristoff and Anna behind them. Silently, a priest lit the torch that had been made from the wood of the previous year's fire and handed it to Elsa. She took it and held it in front of her and moved it to so it was in front of both her and Hans. She looked at him expectantly and he timidly placed his hand on the torch as well. They proceeded towards the constructed cone of timber through a silent crowd, stopped in front, and slowly lowered the torch setting the entire structure ablaze. Cheers erupted from the crowd and musicians began to play. Hans and Elsa walked away from the fire and she was immediately bombarded by children wanting her to use her magic.

"Does he know what she just did?" Kristoff whispered to Anna.

"He has no idea," she said with an amused smile.

* * *

The festivities lasted far later than Hans had expected and there were eleven more days to go, but they would be more subdued. He had assumed after the fire was lit there would be dancing and the like, but not the giant flaming wreath they rolled down the hill, or the gifts the four of them handed out to the children, or the amazing ice show Elsa had for the closing. He was just as awestruck as the children when the square filled with large snowflakes suspended in midair. Elsa had laughed at him when he stared mouth slightly agape at the intricacy of each snowflake's pattern.

He took off his hat, ran his hands through his hair and tossed his coat to join his hat; it missed and landed on the floor with a heavy thud; the coat could stay there until morning. His cravat joined the pile and his waist coat was about to when a knock at the door halted his undressing. He yawned as he opened the door, "I know it's late, but I wanted to give you your gift." Hans stepped aside to allow Elsa in. She pulled a small box from behind her back and presented it to him.

"I honestly hadn't thought about anyone getting me a gift," he said gingerly taking it from her. He lifted the lid to find a round, hinged, gold object with a snowflake engraved on the front and Arendelle's crocus on the back. He pressed the release and it opened to reveal itself to be a compass. He smiled, "It's wonderful, thank you."

She took his free hand and gently squeezed it, "I best be getting to bed, goodnight, Admiral," she released his hand and glided out the door.


End file.
